


A Nobody and a Somebody

by ReyAndor19



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 74th Hunger Games, Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Armitage is sort of like Foxface?, Book/Movie 1: The Hunger Games, Brendol Hux is a Jerk, Dreams and Nightmares, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Force Visions, Hunger Games-Typical Death/Violence, Kylo Ren and Rey Are Not Related, Mitaka is basically Rue, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom, Nice Armitage Hux, Phasma is basically Cato, Rey Andor - Freeform, Rey and Ben take turns being Katniss and Peeta, Reylo - Freeform, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, That's Not How The Force Works
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 42,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21552931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReyAndor19/pseuds/ReyAndor19
Summary: Rey is twelve. Finn is fifteen. Poe is eighteen. It's reaping day. As the clock ticks closer, Rey is glad that her cousin Poe is almost safe. This is his last reaping. But even though her name is only in there once, she can't help but wonder... What if it's her?I just want to write a fun story, please enjoy.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 19
Kudos: 79





	1. Reaping Day

Rey woke, sweating. It was silent, except for the soft sounds of her aunt and cousin breathing. She carefully stood up, trying not to make too much noise on the creaky bed. Poe shifted and mumbled something, but didn't wake. Good. He didn't approve of her hunting so early, especially today.

She crept out of the tiny house, trying to shake off the dream she had. It was the old nightmare about watching her parents die in the mining accident. She hadn't actually seen them die, but she had watched helplessly as the captain had read off the names of the dead. Seven years later she still woke up crying.

But that didn't matter. The past was in the past. She had to focus on the present. And right now, that meant making it into the woods before the peacekeepers passed by the fence.

Rey padded down the empty streets. Soon they would be filled with the citizens of District 12. Everyone would be packed together, praying that they wouldn't be picked to compete in the Hunger Games. Coming from District 12, the poorest district in Panem, the tributes almost never won. There were only two living victors from 12.

Han and Leia Solo, husband and wife. They had won a few years apart, and eventually gotten married and had a son. He was the same age as Rey, but she never talked to him unless schoolwork required her to. He was probably the most popular kid in the school, while Rey had zero friends.

Unless you counted Rose Tico, another lonely girl whose twin sister had been reaped a few years ago. She had missed three weeks of school after her sister died, and the day she came back she had sat with Rey at lunch. After that they had teamed up together for every partner activity in school. They weren't good friends, just partners. Two lonely girls who worked together because they had nobody else. Well, Rey had Finn and Poe, but they were both older than her.

Reaching the fence, Rey checked to make sure there was no familiar hum that meant it was electrified. As usual, it wasn't, and she ducked through a small hole at the bottom that nobody cared about enough to fix. Rey silently ran through the woods to the clearing where she and Finn always met up. As usual, she was the first one there. She busied herself with stripping some of the blackberry bushes that grew in a ring around the clearing, knowing Finn would arrive soon.

"Happy Reaping Day," a voice behind her said. She jumped, startled. But of course it was just Finn.

"Happy Reaping Day," she returned, rolling her eyes, then noticing his hands were held behind his back. "What've you got there?"

"Oh, nothing," he deflected her question with a secretive smile.

"Come on Finn," Rey laughed, "you can trust me."

"Alright, he said, pulling an arrow out from behind his back. Rey gasped when she saw the two plump leather pouches tied to it. With a nod from Finn, she eagerly untied one of the pouches and peeked inside.

"Oh my god! Is this real?" she cried, picking one of the ripe purple berries out of the container. "Finn, where did you even get these?"

He smiled proudly. "The Hob."

"You're lying. They cost way too much for both of us combined. Where did you even get the money?"

"Leia was feeling sentimental today," he revealed, "I was trying to bring something special for today, and she offered a cheaper price than normal. Even wished me luck."

"Well, I guess we're all feeling a bit closer together today," Rey said. "Poe's almost safe."

"Eighteen already? Feels like we just met yesterday, but it's been years."

"Well you're fifteen. Four more reapings and you're safe too."

"Time flies," Finn joked. Rey desperately wanted him to change the subject. She didn't want to talk about how she still had so many years of reapings left to survive. As if he could sense this-or maybe he could, he knew her better than anybody else-Finn took her hand and looked her in the eye.

"Rey. Your name's only in there once. One time. One slip in hundreds, thousands maybe. They're not gonna pick you. And after this, the reapings are just gonna fly by, and before you know it you're eighteen. It's going to be all right. Poe and I, we've made it haven't we? Poe's made it through all of his. And so will you. Jyn and Cassian are watching over you, I know it. They'll make sure you stay safe. Everything will be fine."

Rey nodded numbly, trying to believe his words. Trying to make them true. But it all came down to the luck of the draw.

Finn's right, she knows. One slip in thousands of others. The odds are in her favor. But not in his. Not in Poe's. Both boys had put their names in extra times in exchange for getting a little food each month. Not enough to keep them happy and healthy, but food nonetheless. Poe wouldn't let her put her name in extra times though. She didn't know why. But she knew that the odds were not in Poe and Finn's favors. Her eyes filled with tears at the thought.

"How about we eat breakfast?" Finn suggested, holding up his pouch of berries. Rey nodded again, and wiped away her tears. She and Finn enjoyed a breakfast of sweet berries by the river. They saved the blackberries Rey had collected for supper after the reaping-refusing to consider for even a moment that they might not be around to eat them-along with a goose Finn shot.

They hid their weapons in a hollow tree. They weren't supposed to have weapons inside the district, though the peacekeepers pretended not to notice when they brought their game back from the woods.

That was the one good thing about being from the poorest and most ignored district in Panem. There was more freedom as long as they produced enough coal for the Capitol. The peacekeepers that policed them were also some of their best customers. Rey and Finn probably had sold more meat to peacekeepers than District 12 citizens.

"Good luck," Rey whispered to Finn once they were back inside the fence, "I'll see you...later."

"Hopefully," Finn whispered back, "good luck."


	2. The Reaping

They both headed in separate directions back to their homes. Jyn and Cassian are watching over you. Finn's words played over and over in her head. She hoped so. Being from District 12 had a few advantages food wise, but when it came to the Hunger Games, it meant you were the least prepared. Every other district had a trade its children learned since they could walk. Citizens of 12 didn't go into the mines until they were seventeen, giving them an enormous disadvantage. That was why there were only two living victors from 12. Rey stepped in through the door to her home, hoping Poe wouldn't reprimand her for going to the woods on reaping day. Thankfully, he was busy getting ready for the reaping.  
"There you are Rey," Shara Bey, Poe's mother and Rey's aunt said, "I wondered where you were. I have something special for you to wear today."  
She took Rey's arm and pulled her over to her bed, where she had laid out a sandy white dress.  
"It was your mother's," she said softly, "she wore it for special occasions. It was even her wedding dress."  
Rey's eyes filled with tears again. Jyn and Cassian are watching.  
"Thank you Aunt Shara. It's beautiful."  
"It's yours Rey. Jyn wanted to give it to you when you turned twelve, but... I know this is what she would have wanted."  
"Thank you so much."  
"It's nothing. Now try it on. I'd love to see you in it."  
Aunt Shara walked away to help Poe with his reaping outfit. Rey quickly changed from her usual outfit to the dress. It was a simple yet beautiful garment that fit comfortably and reached her ankles.  
"Aunt Shara?" She asked, "is there anything else I need to do?"  
Shara turned to look at Rey and gasped.  
"Did I do something wrong?" Rey asked, blushing.  
"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong. It's just...for a moment I thought you were Jyn. Rey...you are every inch your mother's daughter. Not just your looks, but your heart and soul."  
"Is there anything else I should do?"  
"...yes. Can you fix your hair? It's a bit messy from the woods."  
"Got it."  
Rey brushed her hair out and fixed it into her usual triple bun style. Checking herself in the sole mirror in the house, she realized Shara was right. Rey had only known her mother and father for a short time-five years to be exact. But she could remember her parents faces, and she could see the similarities between her and her mother. Jyn and Cassian are watching. Rely felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned. Poe stood behind her.  
"Poe..." She started softly, knowing her cousin was the only person other than Finn that she could ask her question to, since he had actually lived the nightmare of the reaping. "What if I'm chosen?"  
"You won't be. Your name's only in there one time. One time. My name has been in there far more times than that, and I'm still here."  
"But what if I am?"  
"Then you fight. You fight your hardest, and you survive. You know how to hunt. You fight with a quarterstaff better than everyone in 12 combined. You'll make it back home."  
She tried to pretend what he was saying was true. That she actually had a chance of winning the Games. But try as she might, she couldn't make his words true. She had no chance of surviving against tributes who had been training their entire lives for this moment. Some tributes even trained in fancy schools that taught them twenty different ways to kill a person with just a rock, and even more with other weapons. But she did know how to hunt. And she was pretty good with a staff. A flicker of hope ignited inside her, but she immediately quelled it. She couldn't get her hopes up. It would make her cocky, and that would lead to her getting in a lot of unwanted trouble. Poe took her hand and they walked to the Justice Building. It was already filled with kids. Rey spotted a few of her classmates in the crowd. Poe pulled her over to where kids were lining up.  
"What are we doing?" Rey asked nervously.  
"They're gonna prick your finger and scan the fingerprint to check you off, make sure you're here, you didn't sneak off."  
Rey nodded reluctantly, and Poe mistook her fear for dislike of the blood.  
"Hey, don't worry, it's just a little bit of blood, it barely even hurts. You can hardly feel it. I'll go first so you can see. It won't be that bad at all. After that you're gonna go stand with the other kids your age. Go find one of your friends."  
"I don't have any," Rey argued. Couldn't she just stand with him?  
"Then stay along the edge and look for me and Finn. See if you can spot us."  
She nodded, and was about to say something when they reached the front of the line. Poe stepped forward, and the peacekeeper pricked his finger with a needle. Then he pressed Poe's finger down on a paper, and scanned it with a silver device. The device made a small beep, and Poe was sent to stand with the other eighteen year olds. Rey slowly stepped forward and allowed the peacekeeper to prick her finger. She knew she shouldn't have been scared, Poe was right to say it was unlikely she'd be chosen, but she was. But before she could blink, Rey was sent to stand with the other twelve year olds. Following her cousin's advice, Rey stood at the edge of the roped off area where she and the other girls were kept. She could see Finn across from her. He waved cheerfully, but his expression was solemn. She waved back.  
"We're gonna be fine," he mouthed.  
She gave a terse nod, but before she could say anything a man onstage-he came every year to pull the two names; he was from the Capitol, that much was obvious, but nobody knew his name-tapped the microphone on the stage in front of the children.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 74th Hunger Games! In a few moments, we will have the tributes of District 12. Who's ready to meet our tributes?"  
Silence. It was the same thing every year. Rey didn't know why he even bothered asking anymore.  
"Well, as always, ladies first!"  
Rey tensed, looking to Finn. His head was bent, and she couldn't catch his eye. He seemed to be saying something, but she couldn't make out what it was. The man reached into one of the large glass bowls that held the name of every twelve to eighteen year old girl in District 12. He pawed through the slips, finally pulling out one. Rey's breath caught in her throat.  
"Rose Tico!"  
Rey should have been happy she hadn't been reaped. She should have gone home and celebrated the fact that she had escaped death that year, and that Poe was finally safe. But watching Rose, her partner, walk up to that stage, trembling with fear? Knowing that Rose's twin sister had been stolen from her by the arena, and that now Rose herself was being sent to that place of nightmares? Seeing that the frightened girl had no chance of coming home? Rey couldn't just stand there and watch.  
"I volunteer!" she cried, stepping forward. The entire crowd turned to look at her. Rey blushed a scarlet color.  
"I volunteer!" she shouted again, ducking under the rope and standing in the gap at the middle of the crowd that served as a path to the stage. Aware that all eyes were on her, Rey slowly started to walk to the stage, leaving a stunned Rose behind her. The entire district watched in a trance. She was about to walk up the first step, when someone grabbed her arm.  
"Rey, you can't go." It was Poe. His eyes were filed with tears, and held held her arm tightly in his strong grip. "You can't."  
She looked up at her cousin. He looked ready to cry. She had never seen him cry in all her years of living with him and Shara.  
"Don't let Shara watch me...you know." Rey couldn't finish the sentence, so she pulled away from Poe and raced up the steps before he could stop her.  
"Well that was exciting!" The man announced, breaking the solemn silence. "What is your name, miss?"  
"Rey Andor," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. She was going to the arena. She was going to the arena.  
"Ladies and gentlemen of District 12, meet your first tribute Rey Andor!"  
Silence again. This usually happened. But then, at the front of the crowd, Rey saw movement. It was Rose. She placed the three middle fingers of her left hand to her lips, then held it out to Rey. The children around Rose followed, and the motion traveled out in ripples, until the entire district had copied Rose's gesture. Tears welled up in Rey's eyes. A single drop fell down her cheek. It was an old and rare gesture, sometimes used at funerals. It meant thanks. But more importantly, it meant goodbye to someone you love. This is the most touching gift she's ever received. With all cameras trained on the crowd, Rey gave a small nod, the best thanks she could manage without sobbing. Finally the man interrupted the silence.  
"Time to meet our next tribute!" he called excitedly. Rey closed her eyes and prayed it wasn't Poe or Finn. She couldn't breathe as the man clawed around the other bowl.  
"Ben Solo!"  
Honestly, Rey wasn't surprised. Victors' children were usually reaped. Some people believed this to be coincidental, but others thought they rigged the reapings to make the Games more interesting. And Ben was the son of not one, but two victors. Not to mention they were the only two victors from 12 in the history of the Hunger Games. She watched Ben walk to the stage from where he stood with the other twelve year old boys. They were both the same age, but Ben was much taller than she was. And more well fed. Rey knew this could work to her advantage though. She knew how to be hungry. She had almost starved to death after her parents died. Aunt Shara had become sick with grief. Poe cared for her 24/7 which meant Rey had to handle everything else. At five years old, it had become Rey's job to keep the family running. The government gave her and Poe money to cover a month of grieving for the loss of her parents and his father. After the month was up, Shara was expected to find a new job, and continue providing for the family. Life would return to normal. Only at the end of the month, Shara was still trapped in her own world of sorrow. Rey handled the money as best she could and tried to keep the house clean and its inhabitants presentable. She knew if the government found out that Shara was no longer able to take care of them, she and Poe would be sent to the orphanage. She knew it was a terrible place, run by Unkar Plutt, who was very unkind to the orphans. But eventually the money had run out, and they had almost starved to death until the day Poe turned twelve, when he could put his name in the reaping bowl extra times in return for food. Rey mentally shook herself out of the memory and back into the real world, as Ben strode up the steps and across the stage to stand next to her.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Rey Andor and Ben Solo, the tributes of District 12!" The man announced. Rey and Ben shook hands, then turned to face the silent crowd.


	3. Goodbyes

"You have five minutes." The peacekeeper pushed Poe forward into the room. The door shut behind him, and Poe sat beside Rey on the small couch, the only piece of furniture in the room. She curled up to him like she used to when they were younger and one of them woke crying from a nightmare. It always made Rey feel safe, no matter what. She didn't know how to start the conversation, and they sat awkwardly for a few seconds.  
"Shara didn't come?" She asked finally.   
"Wouldn't let her. You know if I did we'd all be sobbing."  
"True."  
"She sends her love. And Jyn's. She wanted me to give this to you," Poe said holding up a necklace, a rough string with a beautiful blue crystal. "She said Jyn had one just like it. She wanted you to have it when you were twelve. It can be your token."  
Rey took the necklace and tried it on. It made her feel more relaxed, at peace. Almost...friendly?  
"What am I going to do?"  
"You're gonna get a weapon, kick butt, and come home. Simple. I'm the one who's going to have trouble. I'm so used to you taking care of the house while I'm at work."  
"It's not that hard."  
"So what to I have to do?"  
"Well, Finn and I agreed if this ever happened we'd share some of our food with each other. Finn won't want anything in return, but give him goat milk or cheese from Danya."  
Danya was a goat Finn Poe and Rey had gotten Shara the first anniversary after Kes' death.   
"Shara can take care of most of the housekeeping. Don't spend any of the special money you've saved up, that's for emergencies only. We're almost out of time, so Finn will fill you in on the rest."  
As if to prove her point, the door opened to reveal the peacekeeper. "Times up."  
Rey suddenly panicked. She didn't want Poe to leave. She clung to his arm. "Don't go," she pleaded. Poe looked down at her and gave her the same reassuring smile he always did when she had a nightmare. "I won't be gone for long," he promised, "I'll see you in a few weeks when you win this thing."  
They shared one last glance, and Rey let go of his arm. Poe walked out slowly, and Rey tried to stay in the moment, freeze it in time. But she couldn't, and her cousin walked out the door. Finn came in next, and sat down beside her.  
"Rey."  
"Yeah?"  
"You can do this you know. I should know. I've watched you hunt. I've lost to you in a practice spar more times than I can count. Just get your hands on a weapon and some food, and you're all set."  
"Finn, what if I can't get a weapon? everyone keeps telling me to get one, but what if i can't make it to the Cornucopia in time?"  
"Then make one Rey. Find a sharp rock or something. Maybe tie it to a branch to make a spear. I'm not saying you should go hunting for other tributes, but you'll be able to stay alive"  
"Are you sure?"  
"They just want a good show. That's all they want. So give them a good show, then come back here. I'll be waiting."  
"If... If I do...you know...don't watch. Please."  
"When you die, it won't be in the arena. Your going to die safe and happy and with me and Poe. Not in that nightmare."  
"Really?"  
"Of course," Finn said. "When have I ever lied to you?"  
"True," she had to admit. Finn smiled and pulled her into a tight hug.   
"We're all betting on you," he promised. Rey just smiled. They stayed like that until the peacekeeper came back. Finn walked to the doorway, then paused and turned to Rey.  
"I still stand by what I said. Jyn and Cassian are watching over you." Then he left. Rey curled up into a ball. She didn't expect anyone else to come in, so when the door slid open again, she was surprised. Especially since it opened to reveal Rose. She didn't know what would happen, since she and Rose never talked outside of school related activities.   
"That was a really brave thing you did."  
"Thanks."  
"I'm sorry."  
"I volunteered. It's not your fault. I chose to go."  
"Why?"  
"Your sister."  
"You knew her?"  
"No. But I knew she was chosen."  
Rose nodded, and Rey felt a spark of understanding pass between them. Now Rose knew why Rey had volunteered. The two girls had both lost loved ones, and carried that loss alone. Not anymore.  
"Good luck, Rey." For some reason, Rose's words touched her heart in a way Poe and Finn hadn't.   
"Good luck Rose."  
The peacekeeper opened the door for the third time. Rose walked out, pausing in the doorway to share a look with Rey. The door slid shut, and Rey was alone. Truly alone. Well, Ben had been reaped along with her, but they had never talked to each other. He barely even acknowledged her presence. And why should he? He was from a prospering family, while Rey had become the caretaker of her family at age six. Stark differences. She shook her head to clear the thoughts away, then focused on what would happen in the next few weeks. Finn and Poe were right when they said she was good with a quarterstaff, but was she good enough? Thinking about her future made her sick to her stomach, so she tried to focus on something else. Her mind replayed happy afternoons in the woods with her father, learning to hunt and fish and gather plants. Cooking the game with her mother, learning which greens went best with which meat. Watching a sunset curled up in her mother's lap, her father stroking her hair. Rey didn't notice the peacekeeper until he grabbed her shoulder.  
"Time to leave," he said roughly, pulling her shoulder. Rey followed him out the door, where Ben and another peacekeeper stood waiting. Ben nodded silently in a greeting, but she ignored him. She needed to focus on getting out of this alive, and if she and Ben became friends, that would complicate her plan hugely. Only one person was leaving the arena alive. The peacekeepers led them to a train that would take them to the Capitol. And, Rey hoped, the train that would take her back to District 12 when this was all over.


	4. The Train

Rey and Ben sat in silence across from each other, waiting for Han and Leia to arrive. To Rey, the quiet was almost unbearable. She knew she should say something, but what?  
"Why'd you do it?" Ben finally asked.  
"What?" Rey had a good idea what he was asking about.  
"The reaping. Volunteering for her."  
"Rose...her sister was reaped. And I know it was going to be ten times worse for her than it is for me."  
"But why?"  
"I can't really explain it," Rey admitted, "but something just...told me to volunteer for Rose."  
"Okay," Ben said.  
"You don't believe me." Could he at least have been a little less obvious about it? He was staring at her like she was insane.  
"Well I've never seen you talk to her. Or anyone else for that matter."  
How did he know this? And why was he watching her? She squashed the questions and tried to think of a way to explain what had told her to volunteer.  
"Yeah, but...we do things together a lot, and there's kind of this...understanding between us. Like there's a sort of bond of understanding between all the mine workers. Or like the one between the Seam kids. I knew I had to do it."  
Ben looked like he wanted to say more, but at that moment, Han and Leia walked in.  
"Well...congratulations to both of you," Han said stiffly.  
"Thank you," Rey practically whispered. She was not prepared to meet her mentors yet. Han and Leia would be guiding them throughout the next few weeks, and when she and Ben were taken to the arena, the couple would control the gifts from sponsors. Provided she and Ben actually had sponsors. Leia stepped out from behind Han to embrace Ben. Rey stood awkwardly off to the side, not sure what to do. Of course Leia wanted to hug Ben, he was her own son. It just made sense. But a part of Rey still felt left out. Like when Shara and Poe talked about life with Kes, or when Finn and Poe shared gossip about the mines. She didn't have a place in the puzzle. She was an extra piece that wasn't needed. Han turned to her.  
"So you're Rey," he said, looking her up and down. "You're a fighter," he said finally.  
"...thank you?" She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.  
"Twelve doesn't get many fighters. But you're different. You're brave."  
"Thanks." Could this be any more awkward?  
"Thank me when we all get out of this mess."  
"All of us?"  
"I wish. When you're in that arena, can you please promise me something?" Han's voice was a whisper.  
"I can try," Rey whispered back cautiously. She had no idea what she was signing up for. It could be good or bad.  
"Trying is enough. When you're in the arena, please look out for my son. Leia...she's already taking this hard. I need your help."  
Rey looked at Han. He looked back at her with a sad, pleading gaze. "I'll try to."  
"Thank you Rey." Han and Leia both took a step back.  
"So," Leia began in an almost strained voice, "I'm Leia Organa, and this my husband Han Solo. we're going to be your mentors in this for the next few weeks. So, typically the tributes are allowed to pick their mentors out of all the victors. Since we're the only two, would you like to be coached together or separately? Basically, do you want us to both be your mentors, or do you want to do it the traditional way?"  
To be honest, Rey didn't care. She looked over to Ben, indicating he could choose.  
"Can we do it the traditional way?" He asked.  
"Of course," Han agreed quickly. "So who do you want to be your mentor? Rey, do you want to choose first?"  
"Um...okay? Leia will you be my mentor?" It was what Han wanted wasn't it?  
"Of course," Leia replied.  
"So...Ben, you're with me," Han said.  
"Fine."  
Suddenly the train heaved forward. Rey lost her balance and fell backward, breaking the tension that had been building in the room.  
"Sorry," she mumbled, embarrassed, "wasn't expecting that."  
She stood up and her eyes were immediately attracted to the window. Ignoring everyone else, Rey walked over and watched District 12, the only home she'd ever known, disappear in a blur of color.  
"Are either of you hungry?' Leia asked, but the question seemed to be directed at Rey. Both victors seemed to be furiously ignoring Ben.  
"Oh...okay. Yeah." She hadn't had anything to eat since her breakfast of berries with Finn, and it was about supper time by now. Back home she could picture Finn and Poe and Shara all eating the blackberries and the goose. Or was their meal untouched as they readied themselves for the next few weeks? Rey quietly followed the Solo family to the dining car, where they sat at a beautiful wooden table. She ran her fingers over the glossy surface, trying to stay calm. She had never left District 12 before. Well, there had been that one time when she was four...  
Her mother and father had woken her up early and told her to follow them. Cassian had lead the way to the fence at the edge of the district, where he always took her hunting. This had confused her younger self. Jyn never came with them into the woods. But Rey followed as they walked for hours and hours, stopping once for lunch, and once more when Rey had been stung by a bee. Her father had carried her after that, since her foot hurt too much to walk. They traveled for about a half hour longer, when Cassian had stopped abruptly, handing Rey off to her mother. She had watched, confused, as he crept forward, peering out from behind the large bush in front of them. Finally he had motioned for them to come over. Rey had eagerly peeked out, wondering what could possibly be there.  
"That's District 11," Jyn had whispered. "You know how we mine coal? They grow and harvest all of the crops for the Capitol."  
Rey watched the huge stretch of field that had seemed endless. She was frozen by the realization of everything. Before, she had heard of all of the other districts, and the Capitol too. But they had seemed alien, like an entirely different planet. But now it was all real. There were other districts bordering hers. There were more people than just her friends from next door and her classmates and the traders at the Hob, where her father sold his game. There was so much more than her little world. After that adventure, her parents taught her so much more. Before, they had taught her the Capitol was the kind fair ruler of all the districts. Now they openly criticized President Snoke, trusting her to keep the secret. They taught her about the Hunger Games, how they were terrible and how Rey would one day have to put her name in the giant glass ball. The trip had changed her life. It had deemed her mature enough to learn about the terrible truths of the world.  
"Rey?" Leia asked. For the second time. Rey blushed, shaking off the memory.  
"Sorry. Yes?"  
"What would you like to eat?"  
"Me?"  
"Yes you," Ben interrupted, rolling his eyes, "who else here is named Rey?"  
She shot him a glare before turning back to Leia. "Ration bread is fine, please," she said. She didn't love the bland, lumpy rolls Poe received for putting his name in the reaping bowl, but the Andor-Dameron family ate them with most every meal, and Rey needed a taste of home before being thrust into an unfamiliar place.  
"I hate to break it to you, but the Capitol trains don't serve junk," Ben said with a laugh. "That stuff's only for the poor people. Like you."  
Rey felt the anger burning inside of her from his first remark flare up. She stood and looked him straight in the eye.  
"How dare you," she growled, her voice low and dangerous. "How dare you insult me! How dare you call me me poor! How dare you say that, why don't you try losing your mother and father to those terrible mines like me!! Why don't you try being forced into dangerous mining sites just to get a bite to eat for your family like my friend!! Why don't you try putting your name in the reaping bowl 48 times like my cousin!! Why don't you try becoming the caretaker of your family, having to provide food, and keep the house clean, and cook all the meals, and take care of your mother who's sick with grief, at age five, why don't you try that!! And then feel free to call me poor you little-"  
"Rey! Ben! Please, don't fight, we've got a long two weeks ahead of us," Han interrupted. "Ben, apologize to Rey for calling her poor. Rey, apologize to Ben for screaming at him."  
"Sorry," Rey said, embarrassed that she had let anger get the better of her.  
"Sorry," Ben copied, but it was obvious he didn't mean it. When Han turned to say something to Leia, he mouthed 'poor' at her. Rey glared back and raised her clenched fist. Suddenly, she couldn't wait to get to the arena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Rey and Ben didn't get off to the best start. This is probably going to be a sort of slow burn, but not insanely long...


	5. Arrival

When the train pulled in to the station at the Capitol, the first thing Rey noticed were the colors. Lime greens, bright oranges, neon yellows, electric blues, you name it. Every color Rey had ever seen and more decorated the Capitol buildings, an enormous difference from 12 where everything was some shade of grey. The painted homes reminded Rey of the small sugary discs at the single candy shop back home. Poe had surprised her one New Year's Eve with a small bag of them he had been saving up for for weeks. Before eating them, she had marveled at the colors. Now she was starstruck by the vibrant...life radiating from the Capitol. The next thing she noticed were the people. Finn had once told her the Capitol citizens dressed differently than they did, but he hadn't prepared her for this. Crazy hats and wigs-or was that their actual hair?-adorned heads. Cakes of makeup covered faces, letting almost no natural features show. Tattoos covered every inch of skin visible, and Rey spotted a few people who had just straight up dyed their skin. Mounds of jewelry covered necks, arms, hands, and really just everywhere. Flashy dresses and fancy shirts with any and every design or pattern added to the color. A huge mob stood by the exit to the train, and the second she, Ben, Leia, and Han walked out, they cheered so loud Rey thought her eardrums would burst. A group of peacekeepers led them to the Tribute Center, where they would stay until it was time to enter the arena. As the door shut behind them, Rey let out a relieved sigh. The crowd's cheering was giving her a headache, and she needed peace and quiet. The peacekeepers lead them to an elevator. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for Rey and Ben to get in.  
"Guess we'll meet you at the top," Han said with a shrug.  
"Don't kill each other," Leia added as the doors closed. Rey hoped she was just kidding.  
She and Ben stood in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. Their elevator came, and they silently stepped inside.  
"Umm... How do you work this thing?" Rey had never been in an elevator before. It was actually pretty fascinating how the small box could move up and down and carry people all over the building.  
"Press the button that has your district number on it," Ben replied shortly. Rey followed his instructions. The doors closed, and the elevator slowly crept upward.  
"Rey?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I shouldn't have called you poor not knowing anything about you or your family."  
"It's fine. I overreacted."  
"Can we just start over?"  
"Sure. Hi, I'm Rey."  
"Nice to meet you Rey. I'm Ben."  
The elevator stopped at the twelfth floor, and they both stepped out to find Leia and Han waiting.  
"Good to see you two are still alive," Han smiled. Ben rolled his eyes and walked away.  
Leia sighed. "I'll be the first to tell you that you did not win in the personality category with your fellow tribute."  
Rey nodded solemnly, but inside she disagreed. Ben was...nice? He seemed to always be upset around his parents, but he was...alright...without them. Not the most talkative, but ...she didn't know how to describe it, but Rey felt like she could trust Ben. Her heart told her that he was a good person, that they could become friends even. Which was a very bad idea if they were going to try to kill each other soon. She needed to relax. Everything had been turned upside down in the five seconds she had spent volunteering for Rose. And if she was going to win this and get back home, she needed to focus.  
"Umm... I'm going to go rest for a little," Rey said.  
"Alright," Leia agreed, "just make sure you're awake in time."  
"Time for what?"  
"The tribute parade. You'll go down to the Remake Center to get ready in about two hours."  
"Okay!" The tribute parade. How could she have forgotten? Each pair of tributes would dress in a costume to represent their district, and be shown off to the Capitol citizens. The parade was an important part of the Games, since it was basically when you made your first impression. Since District 12 was the coal mining district, its tributes were always dressed in some sort of hideous coal miner's outfit. On year the tributes had shown up naked and covered in black powder to represent coal dust. That had invited a lot of insults toward 12. She had hated that year... Rey walked down the long hall to her room. Stepping inside, her jaw immediately dropped. The room was bigger than two of her house. Three maybe. She found her way to her bed, and sank down on top of it. It was time to make a plan.  
But she was so tired...  
No. she had to figure out her plan for the next few weeks.  
Maybe she could just close her eyes for a few minutes...  
No. She wasn't sleeping. So what had Finn said to do? Get a stick, or just any weapon, then...  
Rey sighed. Her brain was barely functioning, and she didn't know how she managed to sit up. Plus, her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton. Well, she was going to need to be well-rested so she would be more alert in the arena. A few minutes of sleep couldn't hurt...  
Rey fell back onto the bed, not even bothering to change or pull a blanket over herself. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.  
******************************************  
Rey sprinted as fast as she could, running away from a pursuer she couldn't see. She dodged past trees and hopped over rocks, breathing heavily. She seemed to be running through the woods of District 12. Looking to her side, she saw a shape next to her. A wolf. It ran, matching her stride for stride. The wolf turned to look at her with warm, caring eyes. They reminded her of Jyn's. The wolf spoke.  
"Run, Rey, run!" It called. The wolf sounded exactly like her mother. It's her, a voice in Rey's head whispered. It's Jyn.  
"Faster!" The wolf encouraged. Rey pumped her legs harder, springing forward with every step. She turned, trying to find who was chasing her. She could tell there were two figures running after her, but not who they were.  
"Rey, look out!" the wolf cried. Rey turned around just in time to see she was about to crash into a tree. She swerved, but not fast enough. She hit the side of the tree and fell over clutching her side. Pain exploded all over her body. when she pulled her hands away, they were soaked in scarlet blood. The wolf disappeared into thin air with one last tearful look. Her pursuers came closer, slowing to a walk. Rey looked up to find President Snoke looking down at her with a feral grin.  
"We have you now, little Jedi," he said with a laugh. Rey whimpered in pain, curling away from him. The other figure walked into view.  
"Ben?" She whispered, stunned and confused. But he wouldn't look at her. His face was a cold, expressionless mask, and he pulled out a black cylinder. Walking over to where she lay, Ben thumbed a switch on the cylinder and a fiery red blade of light shot out of it. He held the blade next to her throat. Rey felt the heat radiating from it, almost burning her skin. Before she could blink, he pulled the blade back, and stabbed her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a little bit of time left until The Rise of Skywalker!!!


	6. The Parade

Rey woke with a cry. Looking around, she realized it was just a dream. But this dream felt more real then any other dream she had had before. The branches slapping her as she ran past them. The pain when she crashed into the tree. The fear of the unknown pursuers chasing her. And the raw, terrible heartbreak when Ben ignited the red weapon. She staggered to the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. _Alright, that was weird. Time to wake up now._  
Checking the clock, she saw it had almost been two hours.   
"I guess I'll head down to the Remake Center," she said to no one in particular. "If I can find where that is."  
It was easier than she expected. There were signs directing her there nearly every five steps, and before she knew it, Rey was standing outside the door to the Remake center. She stepped inside uncertainly.  
"Rey Andor?" a voice asked. Rey turned to find a short woman with huge eyes looking up at her.   
"Umm...yeah."  
"Perfect. Maz Kanata. I'm your stylist. Follow me. Time to get ready for the parade!"  
Rey followed cautiously, unsure of what to say. Maz lead her back to a small room.  
"That was very brave of you today during the reaping," Maz said.  
"Thank you." Why did everyone keep saying that? She was just trying to help Rose...  
"It wasn't a compliment, it was a fact. If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people. I see a fighter."  
Rey was very confused. Did everyone speak in riddles here? Or was she just stupid and awkward?   
"Now where have I seen those eyes before?" Maz seemed to be talking to herself. "Oh, yes. You and him...exactly the same."  
"Him?" Rey asked. Maz turned to her and smiled.  
"Him. Han and Leia's son. Ben Solo."  
 _What in the world is happening?_  
"Umm...so what am I supposed to be wearing. for the parade tonight?"  
"Oh yes, the parade. You probably know that each pair of tributes dresses in a costume that represents their district."  
"Yes."  
"And you know that District 12's industry is coal mining."  
"Yes."  
"And you know that almost every year, the tributes from 12 have dressed in a coal miner's uniform."  
"Yes."  
"Well I don't think two brave fighters should be forced to dress in something so silly. This may be my first year as a stylist, but I've got some surprises ready. Rey, do you know what you do with coal?"  
"You burn it?"  
"Yes. And that's exactly what we will do tonight."  
It occurred to Rey that Maz was completely crazy.  
Half an hour later, Rey and Ben stood next to each other on the chariot that would parade them around the City Circle in a few minutes. They were both dressed in black, long sleeves and pants. Rey turned to look at Ben, the tiara Maz had given her tilting to the side.  
"I'll try to put yours out if you'll help me with mine."  
"You realize they'll throw us in the arena no matter what?" he asked.  
"Oh gosh, let's not think about that. Shouldn't Han and Leia be here to make sure this kind of stuff doesn't happen?"  
"Oh no, they're probably chatting with the other mentors," he replied darkly.  
"Are you ready for this?"  
"To be honest, no. You?"  
"Not even remotely,"Rey admitted. They both smiled. Ben reached over and adjusted her tiara. "Now you are."  
"Ready, you two?" Maz asked. "Remember, heads high. They'll love you!"  
"If we're still alive," Rey whispered, earning another smile from Ben. She gasped as Maz touched the small match to her shoulder, but other than an tickling sensation, she was fine. Maz lit Ben's costume, then jumped off the chariot. She yelled something to them as an afterthought, but her words were drowned out by the cheering as District 1's chariot rode into the crowd's view.  
"What did she say?" Rey asked.  
"Probably "good luck', or something like that."   
The chariot jerked forward, and Rey almost toppled over. Ben reached over steadying her. She nodded her thanks as they exited the building into the blinding light of the crowd. At once, every eye in the crowd seemed drawn to them. Every other tribute was forgotten as Rey and Ben entered. There were gasps if wondr at the realistic flames, then cheering. Everywhere Rey looked, people were cheering their names, their real names that people had actually bothered to learn for once. Ben reached for her hand, but she pulled away.   
"Come on, they'll love it," he encouraged.  
"I-I can't."  
"Why not?"  
"I'm scared," she admitted. It felt foolish, but she was overcome with stage fright. "If I move I'm going to fall. I can't."  
"I'll catch you," he said, taking her hand. Together, they raised their hands, and the crowd screamed even louder. Rey cast a frightened look toward Ben, but he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.  
"You look great," he mouthed. She blushed slightly, and looked away. Finally the chariot came to a stop. President Snoke stepped up to the microphone on the stage in front of the chariots.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 74th Hunger Games! Win, and you are rewarded with gifts for you and your district. Lose, and you pay the ultimate price! I wish each and every one of our tributes this year good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"  
Rey stared up at the man onstage, wondering if at least a letter of that last sentence had been true. 


	7. Nightmares

"You two were amazing!" Leia said excitedly as Rey and Ben stepped out of the elevator and into the hallway leading to their rooms. "The fire was so realistic!"  
"It was Maz's design," Rey said, blushing. she always felt a little awkward when a lot of attention was directed her way. Put it down to losing her parents at such a young age, the fact that she didn't have any friends, anything really. But she always tripped over her own feet when people were watching.  
"Come, we have to watch the parade now anyway," Leia said. She and Han lead the way to a room with a television set and a velvety couch. Han and Leia at at the very edge of the couch, leaving tons of space for Rey and Ben. Rey didn't have a clue why, but she was forced to sit beside Ben. She would have liked to stay at the edge of the couch, with Han and Leia as a wall between them, but the victors wouldn't let that happen. It frustrated her. Maybe they had held hands on the chariot, but that was enough. She couldn't afford to be friendly with her fellow tribute anymore. The nightmarish arena would become reality soon. and only one of them was getting out alive. Sighing, she plopped down on the couch. The tributes from District 1 came out first, and the crowd burst into cheers. Districts 1, 2, and 4 were always favorited by the Capitol, earning their tributes the nickname, the Career tributes. Most of the time the Careers banded together and hunted down the other tributes. Because they were trained to fight in special schools, they almost always won. Rey's attention snapped back to the screen when a flash of something bright caught her eye. A spotlight maybe? She squinted to see what it was just as the camera zoomed in on the light. It was her and Ben in their fiery costumes. Leia had been right. The flames did look realistic, and she and Ben seemed to glow in the flickering light of the fire. She smiled when Ben finally convinced her to hold hands, and Han shot a teasing grin in her direction.   
"Miss Andor's got herself a boyfriend, huh?"  
Both Rey and Ben blushed a deep scarlet color, and glared at Han.   
"Alright, alright, I get it. You don't want anyone to know about it yet."  
Rey blushed even harder, and quickly stood up. "I'm going to change. Maybe get some rest. Tomorrow's interviews, right?"  
"Right," Leia confirmed. Rey walked back to her room. She sank onto the bed again, trying to ignore Han's teasing. She and Ben had never even looked at each other before this. Han was just trying to get under her skin. She swapped the chariot costume for her mother's dress, and drifted off to sleep.

Rey woke, sobbing, a few hours later. It was the same dream. Running through 12's forest. Being chased by an unknown predator. The wolf, encouraging her to keep going. Hitting the tree. Snoke appearing. Ben following, and igniting the red blade. Stabbing her heart. And once again, it was almost real. Not like any other dream. But a real life event. She tried to fall back asleep, but she was so tear soaked and afraid of what nightmare would come next it took her two minutes to realize she wasn't getting anywhere. Untangling herself from the blankets, Rey wiped away her tears with a towel from the bathroom, pulled on a thin shawl, and padded down the hallway to where she and the others had watched the parade earlier. She sat down on the couch and turned on the television. Eventually she realized almost every channel was about the Games. Past Games, the current Games, next year's Quarter Quell (a special Hunger Games that happened every 25 years. Next year would be the 75th Games, and the 3rd Quell.) she ended up watching a recap of the Huger Games from two or three years ago. Rey told herself she was trying to pick up on good strategies or survival skills that could help her, but she was really just trying to distract herself from the dream. Fortunately, it was working.   
"Couldn't sleep either?" Ben asked. Rey jumped and whipped around to find him standing in the doorway watching her.   
"Yeah."  
"Dream?"   
"...yeah."   
"Same. About the Games?" Rey couldn't see the point of his questions. What was he doing?  
"No."  
"You're shivering." Looking down, she realized he was right.   
"I'll be right back," Ben said. He walked away and she was left to wonder what in the world had just happened. Shrugging it off, Rey turned back to the screen and tried to focus. Ben came back a few minutes later with two glasses of milk. Handing her one, he nodded to the screen.  
"Anything good on?"  
"Not really."  
"Have you been up to the roof yet?"   
"No. Are we allowed?"  
"Yeah. come on, I can show you."   
Trying not to spill her drink, Rey stood up and followed Ben. He led her up a few flights of stairs, down a few hallways, and finally out onto the roof of the building. There was a small greenhouse with tinkling wind chimes, other than that, it was empty. Walking cautiously to the edge, Rey could see Capitol citizens below. On surrounding rooftops, flashy colored lights sparkled.   
"Aren't they afraid we'll jump off or something?"   
"No, you can't," Ben said. He picked up a small rock and tossed it off the roof. It disappeared over the edge. She heard a sharp zap, and the rock flew back up to land in Ben's palm.   
"Cool, right?"  
"Yeah. You must be lucky. you get to come here every year."  
"I'm not really lucky," he responded darkly.  
"What do you mean?"   
"My parents are always too busy with the tributes or chatting with the other mentors to pay me any attention. Even at home."  
"But this is such a beautiful place," she protested. "At least you can enjoy that."  
"You're still shivering. I can get a blanket if you want."  
Rey was going to protest the abrupt change of topic, but it was clear from his expression Ben didn't want to talk about himself anymore.  
"No, I'm fine," she said, sitting down near the edge to watch the people celebrating the Games. "What's in the milk? It's really good."  
Ben sat next to her. "Honey and cinnamon. Leia used to make it for Christmas."  
"Used to?"  
"Yeah. She stopped doing it when I was five. Too busy to spend time with her family. Or she just stopped caring."  
"She cares about you. She's your mother, of course she does. I mean Shara, my aunt, cares about me and were not even related!"  
"You aren't?" Ben asked. Rey sensed he didn't like talking about his family that much. That was probably why he changed the subject whenever it came close to his home and life.  
"No. My parents and the Damerons were extremely close. We're basically family. I mean Poe and I aren't related by blood but we're still cousins. And our parents aren't brothers or sisters. But we're family."  
"See? You're the lucky one."  
Rey laughed. She couldn't help it. "Did you hear a word of what I told you on the train?"  
"Well then I guess we're two very odd people."  
Huddled on the roof, sipping the honey-cinnamon milk, watching the people below, Rey finally managed to forget everything but the two of them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who is seeing/has seen The Rise of Skywalker, I hope you enjoy/enjoyed!


	8. Nothing

"You two look like you slept well," Leia commented that morning at breakfast. Rey rubbed her eyes and yawned again. She couldn't help it. She had fallen asleep for maybe half an hour on the roof, but she had only gotten about two hours in her bedroom. Nibbling on a warm roll, she looked over to Ben. He looked the same as she did, beat up and exhausted. Rey shrugged.  
"Sorry. Couldn't get back to sleep after a nightmare."  
Leia's gaze pinned Ben. "How about you?"  
"Same."  
"Where were you two this morning anyway?" Han asked. "When you didn't come down earlier I checked your rooms, but neither of you were there."  
"Roof," Ben said simply.  
"Roof," Rey echoed, her voice barely a whisper.  
"Rey?" Han asked.  
"Roof," she repeated louder, letting a curtain of hair cover up her face, hoping it masked her blush.  
"See Leia?" Han said cockily. "I told you what I said last night wasn't craziness!"  
"Whatever, but I won't have you scaring my tribute off with your theories. Rey, come on, we should get ready for the interviews. You can bring your breakfast with you."  
Cradling her roll in one hand, Rey followed uncertainly. She soon found herself in Leia's room. The victor sat down in a large plush chair. Rey mirrored her, sinking into an ornately carved wooden rocking chair.   
"Unfortunately," Leia began, "though all of this is unfortunate, you will be starting off with Han. Hopefully, today is a better day and you will actually find a strategy for your interview. Then Maz will help you change into whatever you're wearing, which pretty much explains itself. That's about as honest as I can get, so any questions?"  
"Am I going to see you at all? You are my mentor, right?"  
"Yes, you will see me, but not much. I do get to see you right before interviews, but that's really it. Anything else?"  
"No, not really."  
"Great. Good luck with your first session. Han's room is right next door."  
Rey slowly stood up and walked to the next room, unsure of what to expect.  
"Rey, is that you?"  
"Yeah," she called back.  
"Well don't just stand there, come on. Apparently we've got lots of work to do. You really need to speak up."  
"Sorry," she said, walking over to find Han sitting in a similar chair to the one in Leia's room.  
"Alright, take a seat Andor. I want you to tell me something. Who are you?"  
Rey stared at him.  
"I mean, who are you? What're you like? What's your personality?"  
"I...I don't know."  
"Well right now, we've got to figure it out. Because right now, all I can see is that you're very shy and quiet. You're just screaming wallflower at me, and that's not going to get you any sponsors."  
"I'm sorry I'm not meeting your expectations right now," she said, bristling, "I just got over the fact that I'm going to die in a few days!"  
"I guess that attitude's a bit better than the shyness, but you need muscle behind those words. That's the problem. You're twelve years old, but you've already shown you're too brave to pass as small and quiet. But you're nowhere near as strong as, say, the girl from 4. Phasma. She's twice as big as you and strong and fierce. We need to find who you are, and fast."  
Rey was about to say something cutting back to him, but stopped. Han was right. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She needed to find out what she was going to do for her interviews. Otherwise, she could lose sponsors or give herself a bad reputation among the other tributes. She needed to stand out, but in a good way.  
"Then who can I pass as?"  
Han thought for a while. "Let's try this. I'll ask you some questions about yourself, and we'll see if we can find who you are."  
"Alright," she agreed. It seemed reasonable.  
"Great. So, do you think you have a chance at going home?"  
"Yes."  
What about yourself do you think will help you most in the arena?"  
*******************************************************************************  
About twenty minutes later, Han sighed.   
"All right, that's enough. I've asked you about a million questions, and I still know nothing about you, your friends, your family, anything."  
"They're going to take my life! They can't take my home!"  
"Too bad. Just make something up if you can't think of anything."  
She rolled her eyes, looking away.  
"Here. Try acting...secretive. Mysterious."  
"Mysterious?"  
"Yes. If you don't want to tell us anything about yourself, try acting like its all one big secret. Are you a good secret keeper?"  
"I guess."  
They started again. Five minutes later, Han decided she wasn't mysterious. Five minutes after that, she wasn't cheerful. Not dangerous. Not funny. Not smart. Not anything else they tried.  
"Rey, I give up," Han said finally. "We've been at this for an hour, and you still don't have a strategy for interview. You're nothing. Nothing."  
The tears flooded her eyes before she could stop them. _Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry_. Han's insult hit the bullseye, and she pushed herself away from the chair. Covering her eyes, she ran. Rey didn't even know where she was going until the cool, fresh air hit her. She curled up at the edge of the roof where only a few hours ago, she and Ben had sat together. Rocking back and forth slowly, she cried until she couldn't cry any longer. Then she just sat, sniffling, trying to ignore the way Han's words cut her to the bone. 'You're nothing,' he had told her. _Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing._ Drying her eyes on the dress, Rey looked up, fingering the blue crystal. _Well for a nothing, you really are something_ , she could practically hear Poe saying. Time to prove her cousin right.


	9. Interviews

"Something tells me you're not ready for interviews tonight," Maz said, smiling gently as she walked into Rey's room, holding a small package. Rey just rolled her eyes and looked away. Her eyes were still red from crying, and there were wet patches all over her clothes.  
"So that's my dress?" She asked, trying to change the subject.  
"Oh, yes, you'll love it."  
"More flames?"  
"Maybe. Close your eyes." Rey followed her instructions. Maz helped her put on the outfit, then step into the shoes.  
"Alright, now open them."  
Rey gasped. It was a simple sandy colored dress, with short sleeves, that reached down a little past her knees. But there was something about it... Rey took a closer look, and found that thin golden threads wove all across the garment. The dress almost seemed to glow. She wore comfortable, sturdy flats that weren't tight like the one pair Shara owned.  
"This is amazing," she breathed.  
"Well, you just need to put on the jewelry and you'll be ready."  
Maz pulled out a small, golden tiara, placing it aside. "Can you brush your hair out?"  
"Of course." Rey headed to the bathroom and tried to tame her hair in to some semblance of neatness, but she never really brushed her hair so it was hard enough to follow Maz's simple direction. When she finally decided it was pointless, she stepped out. Maz smiled and handed her the accessory. "Put this on. Give me one second and I'll get the bracelet." She dug through the bag again and handed Rey a thin golden band.  
"So much gold."  
"Yes, it adds to the flame theme. I have to go now. Oh, and when you're ready to make your mark, twirl. Good luck girl on fire."  
Rey fidgeted with her bracelet. She wasn't ready for the interviews yet. What if she truly was nobody? Leia walked in before she had a chance to give this much more thought.  
"So. How did the session with Han go?"  
"Amazing. We ran through how I'm ten times weaker than the girl from 4, then he called me a nothing. I can't wait for the interviews."  
"That bad, huh? Well when I was heading. into my interviews, I was practically sick with anticipation. My mentor gave me a very important tip. And I went out there, I did what she told me to do, and I got enough sponsors to keep myself alive in the arena."  
"What did she tell you?"  
"She told me to be myself."  
"But Han says I'm shy and quiet, and that I won't get any sponsors that way."  
Leia thought for a while. "You are shy and quiet—by Han's standards. I think you're very brave, and I know many of the Capitol citizens do too. You volunteered for Rose in front of your whole district. I don't think a shy person would do that."  
"I don't know..."  
"If you could choose one person you think you could trust the most out of the people you've met here so far-me, Han, Maz, anyone-who would that person be?"  
Rey immediately knew her answer. She blushed, then leaned over and whispered in Leia's ear. "Ben."  
"Great. He'll be onstage with you, sitting with the other tributes. Whenever they ask you a question, you look right at him, and answer like it's just you two, alone, chatting like normal friends. Do you think you can do that?"  
"I guess. But there's going to be so many people. What if I get up there and I can’t speak? What if I just freeze?"  
"Relax. Just close your eyes and count to ten and breathe. Don't focus on the what ifs. Focus on going out there and acing that interview. You're gonna do great. Now come on, it's time to go."  
Twenty minutes later, Rey was ready to cry. Again. To her left sat the boy from District 11. To her right was Ben. He wore a simple black shirt and pants, but like Rey's dress, it seemed to glow. Unlike her flame outfit, his seemed more akin to an ember from the fire. He looked at her and she offered a nervous smile.  
"Does Maz want your tiara to be crooked like that, or does it just kept falling out?"  
She blushed, realizing that, once again, the tiara had tilted sideways. "No, it's not supposed to be like that," she said, reaching up to adjust it, but Ben fixed it for her. "Thanks."  
"No problem. You look great by the way."  
"So do you."  
"Are you ready?"  
"Once again, not even remotely."  
"Was Han that bad?"  
"Let's see, I'll try to remember what I told your mom. Oh yes, we covered how I'm shy and quiet, then how the District 4 girl is ten times better than me, then he called me a nobody. Great, uplifting session." Rey shrugged apologetically.  
She was rewarded with a smile, and he seemed about to respond, but the girl tribute from District 1 stepped onto the stage for her interview, and the crowd's cheering drowned out anything he said. As the laughter of the crowd filled her ears, she closed her eyes and buried her face in her palms. The interviews flashed by. Phasma from 4 actually was as great as Han had said. the crowd absolutely loved her. The boy from 7, DJ, was sly and cunning. Mitaka, the boy from 9, was shy and quiet.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, next up we have Rey Andor, the girl on fire!"  
Rey stood and turned to walk onstage. Ben grabbed her hand before she could brush past him. "Good luck," he whispered, letting her hand go and moving aside. She walked onto the stage, and took a seat on the chair provided for the tributes.  
"So, Rey," Rian Johnson, the man who had been hosting the interviews since before she was born, said. "Who was that girl you volunteered for? I'm sure the whole country is dying to hear. Is she a relative of yours?"  
Rey fixed her gaze on where Ben was sitting with the other tributes. "Her name's Rose Tico, and she's my friend. Her sister Paige was here a few years ago actually. And when Rose's name was called, I remembered how she missed so much school after she lost her sister. Rose...she was devastated. I know that for a fact. And I knew, I had to help her. The only way I could do that was by taking her place. So I did. And I don't regret it one bit, even if I don't make it home." Rey looked up to the sky. "And to Paige Tico, if she's out there watching..." She curtsied and blew a kiss to the stars. "You will never be forgotten."  
The crowd cheered, and she saw a few blowing kisses skyward too.  
"So how are you finding the Capitol so far?"  
"It- it truly is beautiful. A fellow tribute took me up on the roof of the tribute building, and the view of the city is...its amazing." Her eyes didn't leave Ben for a second. She truly had enjoyed the morning on the roof, and she wanted him to know before both of their inevitable deaths.  
"So. Those flames the other night. Were they real?"  
"Yes. They were, but they were specially made so that they didn't actually burn us. Maz is actually a genius. I don't know how she created those flames but they were amazing. But I Will have to admit, I wasn't sure if they were one hundred percent safe."  
The audience laughed, and Rey waited for them to quiet before she continued. "In fact, I'm wearing them tonight."  
"Really?" Rian asked.  
"Yes. want to see?"  
"Of course."  
Rey stood up letting her glowing dress catch the bright lights and shimmer even more. Then she began to spin in a circle, slowly at first then faster, around and around. The audience cheered at the sparkling outfit. As the gold threads caught the light, the dress seemed to flicker like flames. Finally, she slowed to a stop, much to the disappointment of the crowd.  
"Can we see that again?' Rian asked.  
"I can't, I'm too dizzy," she admitted, sinking into the chair. Thankfully, the buzzer rang, announcing the end of her interview. She walked back to her seat. "Good luck," she whispered to Ben as he passed by her. He nodded in reply, and she sat down to watch. His interview, for the most part, was the same as everyone else's. Until the end.  
"So, do you have anyone waiting for you back home? If you win this?"  
"I mean my family of course. And my friends."  
"Come on. Nice boy like you, you've got to have a girlfriend waiting for you. Nobody?"  
"Well... There is this one girl. I've loved her since-well since forever really. But I don't think she's even noticed me before."  
Rey listened, captivated. So was the audience apparently; they were hanging on to every word.  
"So here's what you do," Rian said. "You win the Games, come home. Then she'll have to notice you."  
"I don't think that's going to help in my case."  
"Why not?"  
"Because," Ben said, looking straight at Rey. "She came here with me."


	10. Aftershock

"What was that all about?!" Rey cried, shoving Ben into the wall. You call me poor, then turn around and say you're in love with me?!"  
"Rey-" he said slowly.  
"Don't even start with me Ben Solo! You had no right to say those things, no right! I can't believe you."  
"What in the world is going on?"   
Rey and Ben turned to find Leia and Han watching, shocked.  
"What's going on?" Rey asked darkly. "Well why don't we go rewatch the interviews and find out?"  
"She just misses her boyfriend," Ben taunted.  
"Finn is not my boyfriend!"  
"Sure he isn’t."  
"So what I'm getting here," Leia cut in, "is that Rey is upset that Ben said he was in love with her in front of the whole country?"  
They both nodded.  
"He told me to do it," Ben said, pointing accusingly at Han. Everyone turned to Han expectantly.  
"Well I wouldn't put it that way," Han protested, "but every year they ask the boy from 12 if he's got a girl back home. I thought it would be best for Ben to know what would be coming."  
"So you told him to say her name?" Leia asked angrily. "Han!"  
"What if he didn't?" Ben asked, more to Rey than anyone else. Suddenly they were the only people in the world. Everything else was empty blackness. Ben took a step towards her. "What if he didn't tell me to say your name. What if I told you that he asked me the question and I answered it with 'Rey Andor'?"  
Her eyes widened with the realization. She opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could say a word, Leia spoke.  
"Just forget this. We all need rest, tomorrow you two will be training with the other tributes. You two need to get some sleep tonight. Well go over training strategies tomorrow at breakfast, so you can't be late again. Got it?"  
"Got it," everyone echoed. Leia grabbed Han's arm, pulling him to their room. Rey looked at Ben. They stood silently before she nodded awkwardly, and walked to her room.

It took her less than ten minutes to realize she wasn't sleeping at all that night. At least in her room. She pulled the blanket around herself and headed out. Padding up the steps, Rey found her way back to the roof. As she settled down on the edge and stared up at the stars, she wondered if Finn and Poe and Shara could see the same stars back in District 12. She hoped so. It was a comforting thought, a familiar sight in this new, unusual world. She couldn't believe 12 and the Capitol were even on the same planet. They were so different.   
"Again?" Came a familiar voice. She smiled and turned.  
"No. I missed the view. And I knew I wasn't getting any sleep in there." And I missed you a little, too, she stopped herself from saying. Any friendship they formed would only make things more painful. "How about you?"  
"Same reasons," Ben said, sinking down beside her and pulling some of the blanket over himself.  
"Hey! That mine. Get your own," she said, laughing. He smiled and pulled the whole blanket away from her. She smiled too, grabbing for it and failing.  
"Mine now," he teased. She caught the corner and took it back, draping the soft, fuzzy fabric around her shoulders. They sat in silence for a minute.  
"Did you really mean what you said at the interviews?" she asked quietly. When he didn't answer for a few minutes, she thought he hadn't heard her.  
"Yes," he said, his voice equally quiet. "I meant what I said."  
She sucked in a breath, eyes widening. "I'm sorry I yelled at you about it. I just...panicked. And I really shouldn't have shoved you. That's the second time I've let my anger get the better of me."  
Ben put an arm around her and looked down at her. "Believe me, I know. You're fine."  
She leaned into him and frowned. "I still shouldn't have."  
"I forgive you. I promise."  
"How're we even going to do this?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Training. The Games. All of it."  
"Let's not think about that right now. You should get some sleep."  
"Alright," she agreed, closing her eyes and breathing in the fresh air. Like it had earlier, the rest of the world seemed to disappear until it was just the two of them. With Ben's arm protectively around her and the sound of their synchronized heartbeats like a lullaby, Rey drifted off to sleep.

"Wake it up, you two!" Han's voice made Rey jump, her eyes flying open. She turned to find the victor standing behind her, wearing a sly grin. "You really are cute together, you know that?” Rey blushed, and Ben looked away.  
"We were just-" Ben started explaining.  
"Sleeping together on the roof?" Han interrupted teasingly. "Good because that's what it looked like to me, and I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Wait till Leia hears about this. Crazy theory isn't so crazy anymore is it?"  
Rey was about to explain, but suddenly she was tossed through the air, pushed away from Ben. She hit the ground hard, and when she sat up Ben was the only person who was still standing. He glared at Han, fists clenched.  
"What was that?" Rey asked, shocked. She picked herself up, brushing the dirt off her clothing. Ben turned to face her, his expression panicked. They stared at each other for what seemed like years.  
"Come on, Leia will be waiting," Han said, acting like nothing had happened. "And we need to work on your strategies.”  
They all followed Han's example, acting like nothing had happened, but Rey couldn't help but wonder: What had just happened?


	11. Training

"Glad to see you finally thought to show up," Leia said as they walked in. "Rey, Ben, grab some food and we'll get to work."  
Rey decided to just have a roll like the day before. Ben seemed to be trying to take as long as possible, pouring himself a drink, spooning food onto his plate. He finally sat down next to Rey, handing her a glass of something warm and sweet-smelling.  
"Try this," he whispered to her. "It's really good. Like the milk but more sugary." He seemed to be ignoring Han and Leia as much as possible. Rey accepted the glass and took a sip. Her eyes immediately widened.  
"This is delicious."  
"I know, right? It's called hot chocolate. We drink it a lot in winter. To warm up after being in the snow or out in the cold.""  
She smiled. "I can see why."  
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we really should start working on our strategies," Leia said.  
"Sorry." Rey turned to look at the victors. "So what do you think our training strategy should be?"  
"I think you should try to pretend you're weaker, so stronger packs won't target you. Rey, you know what the Career pack is, right?"  
"Sort of."  
"Pretty much every year, the tributes from 1,2, and 4 band together. They almost always win it too, because they train in special schools that teach them how to fight, and ultimately, win the Games. If you pretend to be weaker, they'll probably ignore you for the most part. They'll be too busy getting rid of other, stronger foes, that they won't pay you any attention at all. That means you have a better chance of surviving."  
"I think that's a good theory," Rey said, noticing both Han and Ben were remaining silent. "Anyone else?"  
Silence.  
"Well,'' Leia tried to cover the awkwardness of the conversation, ''it could work. I'm open to other suggestions."  
More silence.  
"So what are you thinking for the arena?"  
"Well that depends. can you use a weapon?"  
"I'm good with a staff. Knives too."  
"That's good enough. There's almost always knives, but you shouldn't participate in the Bloodbath unless you're skilled with attack and defense."  
"I can run pretty fast."  
"Yes, but against six Careers?"  
"I guess not. I can hunt, so I can probably keep myself alive long enough to get a knife left at the Cornucopia, or take someone else's. Unless I get attacked first."  
"Try that. But worse case scenario, don't fight. If you know it's going to be a losing battle, try to get away. It won't work out."  
"Got it."  
The awkward silence returned, and they finished the meal quickly. Rey eventually couldn't take it anymore, and she walked to the elevator, Ben close behind. They rode to the Training Center, where about half the tributes had already shown up. Someone pinned a 12 onto her back, and she was directed to stand with the rest of the tributes.  
"I think we should try Leia's strategy," Rey whispered.  
"It could work," Ben agreed. "So where are you going?"  
Rey scanned the room, looking for the station that would attract the least tributes. "Probably survival skills or knot tying."  
"Mind if I join you? that seems like a lonely station."  
"That was what I was aiming for."  
"That's an even better strategy."  
"Can I have your attention everyone," a woman at the front of the room said, "my name is Atala. Over the next few days, you will be training here for the Games. Each station around the room focuses on a different skill. Everyone will want to head for the swords and axes, but most of you will die due to injuries, exposure, sickness, dehydration, starvation, and other natural causes. Tributes may not fight each other. There are trainers around the room you can practice sparring with. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."  
For the next hour, Rey and Ben worked together to start a fire without matches. This proved to be not only a hard, but unpopular skill. Despite the warning, almost every tribute had had immediately headed for the weapons. Rey caught herself watching Phasma throw knives so accurately it was scary multiple times. She told herself not to worry, but it was pointless. She let Ben choose the next station, and he pulled her towards the camouflage. It seemed like an odd choice until she looked up after half an hour of stressing over a small portion of her hand, to find Ben had painted most of his arm to look like a tree branch.  
"Look at this," he showed her, laying his arm against a piece of bark used as a sample. It blended right in, and if she hadn't seen exactly where he had placed his arm, she wouldn't have known the difference.  
"How did you even do that?" She asked.  
"I’m pretty good at painting."  
"My cousin and I made our own paint before, but we couldn't paint this well."  
"No, like real paint. I usually get some when we come here. For the Games or for other things my parents get invited to."  
"Oh. Is it hard?"  
"It's easier than homemade paint."  
"Can you teach me how you did that?" She asked, pointing to his arm.  
"Sure. But I'm not a very good teacher."  
For the next half hour, Ben tried to show her how to mimic the pattern of the tree bark sample.   
"It's no use," she said finally. "I'm better at hunting and fighting. I don't have the patience for camouflage."  
"Do you want to move on?" Ben asked, washing the paint off his arm.  
"Sure. Where do you want to go next?"  
"You said you're good at fighting?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben finally talk to each other in public, but then Leia has to interrupt and talk about training like that’s more important...


	12. Sing

"Come on," Ben protested. "Just once? I'd love to see you at least try it."

"No," Rey said, "I told you already, I'm not going to. Leia said act weak, remember?"

"Just try it? I will too.''

"I refuse to."

"One time? You can choose the rest of the stations. Come on, everyone's too busy with themselves to notice the girl from the _poorest district in Panem_."

She sighed. It was a losingbattle. "Fine. One time."

He grinned triumphantly, and she elbowed him. "No bragging."

"Fine," he agreed, "no bragging. Now get over there!"

Rey walked over to a trainer standing in a corner, trying to take as long as possible, silently praying for another tribute to get there first.

************************************

Ten minutes later, she found herself holding a spear and facing a man easily twice as big as she was, also holding a spear. She glanced uncertainly at Ben, who grinned and gave her a thumbs up. She glared at him in response.  _Why did I ever let him talk me into this_? The trainer charged at her, and she spun to the side, bringing her spear around to knock him over. The weapon bounced off the trainer, almost smacking her in the face.  _ Okay, that didn't work _ _._ Rey hadn't used a spear before, but she could improvise. Ducking away from the next attack, she dove, sweeping the stick across the ground, and knocking the trainer off his feet. Jumping back up, she pointed the sharp tip at his throat. 

"Good job," the trainer congratulated. Rey nodded, dropped the weapon, and walked over to where Ben stood.

"See, it wasn't that bad, was it?"

"Let's move on."

They spent half an hour at the edible plants station. Rey already knew plenty about which plants were safe and which were poisonous, but Ben needed her help a lot. Next came lunch. The Careers all sat together, but most people sat alone. Rey and Ben chose a table at the corner of the room. Rey could feel everyone's eyes watching their every move as they chatted about nothing in particular. School mostly. She had never noticed how different their lives were until then. Rey was always trying to provide food, clothing, and other things for her family. She spent most of her time in the woods or the Hob where she and Finn traded their game. Ben on the other hand had enough money for good food, nice clothes, and a nice house. He liked making art in his free time. The only place they both visited frequently was District 12's school. And eventually the mines, but Rey never thought about them unless she had to. After losing her parents to the dark world below, she had avoided the mines, even the topic of them, whenever possible.

"So what's the Hob like?" Ben asked after they had exhausted every topic involving school.

"You've never been there?"

"No, I've seen it, but I've never actually visited."

"Huh. Your mom's there all the time. I thought you would have been by now."

"Nope. She never let me. Said it's mostly people from the Seam, and that we should leave them be."

"Well it is mostly people from the Seam, she's right about that. But there's peacekeepers too. And Leia of course. Everyone mixes together. Once you pass through the entrance, it doesn't matter who you are. I mean you shouldn’t go bragging that you’re using weapons to hunt or anything, because while peacekeepers are fine with it while they’re inside, but outside they still have to appear somewhat productive. If you have food, they'll buy it, if you have money you'll buy their things. A good reputation helps though. My father had a great reputation, always plenty of food and herbs. And the people in there have known me since I was born. That helps me get better prices."

"Wait," Ben said, "how long have you been going there?"

"Oh, my father started bringing me along with him when I was three. But when I was five, he and my mom...they were killed in a mine accident. I had to start going on my own. But the people were surprisingly nice. If they didn't know me, they knew my father. They were fine with the daughter of Cassian Andor, even though she _was_ five years old. Even gave me some better deals on things for a couple weeks, discounts, stuff like that. Until I could find a rhythm, deal with the loss. Poe's also really popular, especially with the mine workers, so again that helped."

"That's crazy.''

"Yeah. I wouldn't know why your mom doesn't let you go. Maybe she doesn't want you mixing with us 'Seam rats'."

"Seam rats? Where in the world did that come from?"

"Some merchants' kids started yelling at a group of Seam kids at school once."

"Honestly, most of them are idiots who like pretending they're better than everyone."

"Yeah. If you do make it back home, you should visit the Hob. But don't go near Leia's booth so she doesn’t see you."

"I'm not an idiot, Rey!" 

They both laughed. _ This is nice. I wish I could freeze time so we could stay like this. So we won't have to kill each other . _

"So how did training go?" Leia asked that night.

"It was good," Rey said. Ben nodded his agreement, suddenly interested in his glass of water.

"Good as in romantic?" Han teased. Leia visibly elbowed him, and Rey couldn't help but smile.

"No. As in we learned a lot. Or at least I did."

"Same," Ben said, glaring at his father.

"Well good," Leia cut in. "Tomorrow you will have a private session with the gamemakers, and you will be scored on the session. The day after that..." No one dared to even breathe as she trailed off. 

Rey looked up, finishing the sentence. "We'll be taken to the arena. And the Hunger Games will truly begin."

Silence followed her announcement. And more silence. And more. Rey stood up and walked out. Once again, she had messed up.

"Rey, wait," Ben called after her. She heard his chair scrape against the ground, his footsteps getting closer and closer.

"Rey, come on," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You didn't do anything, we all need to accept the Games are in two days. Rey, look at me."

She turned to him and he pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of this. I'm sorry that we're going to be enemies in 48 hours. I'm sorry that I never got the chance to know you very well. I wish it didn't have to be like this. that we could be normal people, with normal lives, meeting under normal circumstances."

Rey shook her head. "No. This is perfect. It’s just...everything’s so _contained_ here, and everyone knows how to act, to play the game. And I’m the one person who doesn’t. It feels like I’m doing something wrong."

"You aren’t doing anything ‘wrong’. My family is used to how things work in the Capitol. You were born and raised in District 12. No one is blaming you for being honest back there. No one.” THey stood there for a while before he spoke. “ Do you want to sleep on the roof again?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. You go change, and I'll meet you there soon. Don't forget a blanket."

They headed their separate ways. A few minutes later, Rey stepped out onto the roof. A breeze of fresh air welcomed her eagerly, like an old friend she hadn’t seen in years. And, of course, Ben Solo was there to greet her too.

"Well, well, well. Who would have known miss Rey Andor would have the same idea as I did?" Ben asked, smiling. She threw the blanket at him, and sat down by the edge of the roof. 

"Rey, can I ask you something?" Ben asked, draping the blanket around both of them. Rey leaned into him, pulling the blanket closer around herself. "Sure, anything."

"Do you still sing?"

"Huh?"

"Do you still sing? When we were little you'd always volunteer to sing in class. But you never sing any more."

"My-my father sang. Very well actually. When we were out in the woods, he'd teach me all sorts of songs. You know mockingjays, the birds the Capitol made mixed with mockingbirds? They can't copy human speech, but if you sing to them, sometimes they sing back. I swear, every time he sang out there, every mockingjay near enough to hear would freeze, wait for him to finish, and join in."

"That would explain it then," Ben said, more to himself than her.

"Explain what?"

"It would explain why whenever you sang, forget mockingjay, every living creature fell silent to listen."

She blushed. "That did not happen!"

"It did. You just weren't paying attention. So why did you stop singing? Or do you still sing?"

"After my father died, it didn't feel right for me to sing the songs without him. So I stopped singing. And after a while, I just forgot about it."

"That's terrible. You were really good."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally Rey took a deep breath.

" _Deep in the meadow,_

_ Under the willow, _

_ A bed of grass, _

_ A soft green pillow, _

_ Lay down your head and close your sleepy eyes, _

_ And when again it's morning, _

_ The sun will rise, _

_ Here it's safe, _

_ Here it's warm, _

_ Here the daisies guard you from every harm, _

_ Here your dreams are sweet,  _

_ And tomorrow brings them true, _

_Here is the place where I love you_."

Silence.

"Rey...that was amazing. I can't believe you stopped singing. That's... I mean I actually don't know what to tell you, that was so good."

She smiled, her eyelids already drooping. "Whatever you say."


	13. Private Session

"Ben Solo!" a voice over the speaker said.  
"Good luck," Rey whispered, catching his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze as he walked by. As he disappeared through the doorway, Rey took in the dark, silent room. In a few minutes, she would have her private session with the gamemakers. Later, she would receive a score based off of how good they thought she was. Earlier, the room had been full of people and chatter. Now it was quiet and empty. Rey tried to replay the song she had sang yesterday, but the silence seemed to cover everything, even her thoughts.   
"Rey Andor!" Had it really been three minutes already? Rey took a deep breath, stood up, and walked into the room. It was the same as it had been during training, but the balcony overhead was full of people. people who were barely paying her any attention. Of course. They'd already sat through twenty-three other sessions. A few were watching her, but most were eying the food on the tables on the balcony. Rey strode over to the weapon racks, grabbing a spear. Holding it like she would a staff in a fight against Finn, she took another deep breath. Then she spun into action. Ducking, weaving, jumping, slashing. She faced off against unseen enemies, fighting for her life. She finally stopped, panting, and looked up at the gamemakers. They were completely ignoring her now, laughing and talking among themselves. Her muscles moved before she could stop them, and the spear slashed through the air, just a few inches above the tables, to stick into the wall. All eyes turned to her. Rey smiled innocently, curtsying. "Thank you so much for your consideration," she said, then turned and walked out.  
Oh I am so dead, she thought to herself.

"Rey, come out," Ben pleaded. "It's time for dinner."  
"I can't," she sobbed, "I can't."  
"Rey, please. What happened?"  
"I threw-I threw my spear at them. They're-they're gonna kill both of us and it's all my f-fault!"  
"Rey," Ben said slowly and calmly, "please open the door. I just want to see you."  
She pulled the door open, running back to her bed before he could say anything.  
"Rey," Ben whispered, "look at me."she looked up at him. His eyes were kind and forgiving. "Tell me everything. So they called your name. What happened next?"  
"I-I got a spear from the weapons rack. And-and I ran through some e-exercises I do as p-practice sometimes. L-like an imaginary fight. And I f-finished and I looked up and they weren't p-paying attention. And I... I sort of threw my spear at them. It stuck in the w-wall. And then I told them 'Thank you so much for your consideration' and I walked out." She buried her face in his shirt, blushing red with embarrassment.  
"Did you see their faces after you threw the spear?"  
"Yeah."  
"What did they look like?"  
"Shocked. Like they were s-still processing what happened."  
"Did they say anything to you?"  
"No, I walked out before they could." She realized Ben was trying to make her feel better. "Stop it! I just made it worse for both of us!"  
"Worse how? What are they gonna do, kill us? Only one of us is getting out of there alive anyway."  
"You think we'll be fine?” A sliver of hope slipped through the cold barriers of reality.  
"I know we will. Come on, let's get something to eat."

It took a while to explain to Han and Leia what had happened, since the second they stepped into the room Han had to tease them again. And when Rey told them she threw a spear, Han had to tease Leia about her bad mentoring. But the older Solos took it better than she had expected. The meal passed smoothly, and soon they were all gathered in front of the television, waiting to see the scores of the tributes. Phasma got a higher score of nine, which pretty much everyone had expected given her strength. Most of the Career tributes did well, except for one boy Cardinal who scored a four. Both tributes from District 8 scored fours too.   
"Have they ever given a zero?" Rey asked worriedly.  
"No," Han said.  
"Well there's a first time for everything," she muttered to herself. Ben grasped her hand, and she leaned into him. "Do you think I could get a zero?"  
"I doubt it. The lowest I've seen anyone get is a three. I don't even think they're allowed to give a zero."  
"I hope not."  
"Well some tributes try for low scores. It's like our training strategy. Present yourself as weak so the others ignore you, then take everyone by surprise and fight as well as possible. One girl from 9, Evaan Verlaine, she did that one year, remember?"  
"She did?"  
"Yeah, we would have been around five or six years old."  
"Oh, that was the year... You know, the big mine explosion we had, I was kind of preoccupied."  
"True, sorry. But yeah, she showed up in the Capitol and cried her eyes out every five minutes. And I'm not exaggerating. I said hi to her and she burst into tears and ran away. So yeah, her costume was nothing special, her interview was some boring stuff about her home, she had a training score of four. but the second she got into the arena, she was alert and ready to go. Made it in and out of the Bloodbath with a knife and some food and not a scratch on her. Turns out she was vicious with a knife and stabbed seven people to death."  
"Ouch. I'm glad she's not here."  
Their conversation was interrupted as Ben's name appeared on the screen. A few seconds later, the glowing number seven appeared.  
"Nice!" Rey cheered, throwing her arms around him. "That's only two away from Phasma!"  
"I didn't see that coming, that's for sure."  
"What did you even do?"  
"I really just tried to copy what you did with that spear the other day. I sort of thought, 'what weapon will I embarrass myself with the least?', and I remembered how you had fought with the spear. I guess they liked it."  
"Of course they liked it," Rey grinned.  
Rey's name flashed across the screen, and they turned their attention back to the television.  
Eleven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to any big Hunger Games fans- I did accidentally mix up the order of events leading up to the Games. I also apologize for jumping around so much, but I just wanted to get to the arena. *three finger salutes*


	14. Last Night

For a few seconds, Rey just stared at the screen. Then she blinked to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Then she couldn't breathe because Ben was hugging her so tightly.

"Eleven! Rey that's amazing! You've got the highest score out of anybody!"

"I-I thought they hated me."

"Well they must have liked your temper. They've got a show to put on, don't they?"

"I guess. I can't believe it."

"You better. Oh, Phasma's going to be so jealous..."

She blushed. "You did really well too."

"Yeah, but not an eleven! I've never seen anyone get an eleven before." 

"I really hate to interrupt this cuteness party," Han said, "but we'll be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to get to the arena. And the roof is banned to all tributes tonight, so don't even think about it. Time for bed, all of us."

Rey sighed. "See you tomorrow everyone." She trudged back to her room and sat down on the bed. After taking a few minutes to change into Jyn's dress, she tried to open the door. Locked. She muttered a curse and collapsed on the bed. 

"Rey?" She sat up and raced to the door, pressing her palms against the unyielding wood.

"Ben? Is that you?"

"Yeah. Come out."

"I can't, my door's locked." She heard Ben trying the handle.

"You need a key to open it," he said. "sorry."

Rey leaned against the door, pretending the barrier between them wasn't there. It didn't work. She still felt alone.

"Go to sleep, Ben. Han's right. We'll need it in the arena."

"Fine. Goodnight Rey."

"Goodnight Ben."

She closed her eyes, imagining him standing up and walking back to his room. Now she was alone. It was probably for the best anyway. Tomorrow they would be enemies, though she couldn't imagine the kind boy who had introduced her to the Capitol, and sat with her after she had the nightmare, and slept with her on the roof would be her enemy. Sighing, Rey lay down in the bed, trying to find sleep. finally, she managed to drift off into the dream world.

_ Rey walked down the hallway to the source of the soft whimpering sound. Turning the doorknob, she pushed it open a crack and peeked in. A small girl sat, curled up and vulnerable, crying into her pillow. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Rey turned to find Ben standing behind her. He nodded and she pushed door open the rest of the way. _

_ "What happened Padmé?" She asked, walking to the bed and sitting on the edge. "Another nightmare?" _

_ The young girl-Padmé?-nodded.Rey pulled the girl into her lap, and Ben sat down beside them.  _

_ "I have nightmares too," Rey admitted. _

_ "Really?" Padmé asked. "But you're not scared of anything!" _

_ Rey smiled. "Oh I'm scared of lots of things, just like you. but whenever I wake up from a nightmare, I remember that our family is safe. You guys are fine. And it was just a dream. Even though it feels real, you're sleeping just down the hallway. And that always helps." _

_ Ben put an arm around Rey's shoulders, and the three of them huddled closer together. _

_ "Do you want to sing the song?" Rey asked. Padmé nodded, already learning into her and Ben's embraces.  _

_ "Deep in the meadow," Rey sang. _

_ "Under the willow," Padmé sang back. _

" _A bed of grass," all three of them sang together now._

_ ""A soft green pillow, _

_ Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes, _

_ And when again they open, _

_ The sun will rise.'" _

_ "Here it's safe," Padmé's eyelids were drooping and her singing died out. _

_ "And here it's warm," Rey and Ben sang together, tucking Padmé under the covers. _

_ "Here the daisies guard you from every harm, _

_ Here your dreams are sweet, _

_ And tomorrow brings them true, _

_ Here is the place where I love you." Rey leaned down to kiss Padmé's forehead. _

_ "Do I get a kiss too?" Ben whispered teasingly. _

_ "Of course," Rey whispered, shifting carefully across the bed to where he sat- _

"Rey, it's time to go," Leia said. Rey sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. The safe, happy home was gone. Padmé, whoever she had been, was gone. In their place, was the arena. Where she and Ben could not live happily, because only one tribute was coming out alive. 

"What time is it?"

"Too early. come on, we've got to get going."

Rey scrambled out of bed, changing into a pair of blackish-grayish pants, a dark gray short-sleeved shirt, and a black jacket. Leia handed her a pair of sturdy brown boots. This was the outfit every tribute would wear into the arena. Absentmindedly stroking her crystal necklace, she followed Leia out to a launch pad holding multiple hovercraft. They stepped into one to find Ben and Han waiting for them.

"Hi," she whispered, waving cautiously to Ben. Now that the threat of the arena was real, how would he react to seeing her?

"You look terrible,” he commented. "Did you get any sleep least night?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but he kept talking. "There's one room with a really big couch if you wanted to sleep in some more. I can show you where it is." Without waiting for her response, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a different room. 

"Ben... It's only a few hours away. We can't keep pretending it's fine forever, because these last few hours are going to slip by."

"I know. But I had to see you one more time before all of this."

"Well here I am."

"Please. Rey. Just listen to me." The pleading note in his voice made her look up.

"You're going to go home, I know it. Just... Just tell my mother I loved her, alright?"

She nodded numbly as he wrapped his arms around her. The hovercraft rumbled and lifted with a jolt, but this time Ben's embrace kept her on her feet..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost time for the arena! Why is that a good thing? ;)


	15. 3, 2, 1, GO!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for (or dreading)...  
> Let the Games begin! (And with it, the shipping)

Rey sat on the couch, sipping a glass of water. She barely paid attention to her surroundings, so lost in her thoughts.

"Rey," Leia repeated.

"Yeah?" She asked slowly.

"It's time to go." Rey's head jerked up. Leia's expression was somber and concerned. Standing up, she embraced the older woman. "I'll miss you," Rey whispered softly.

Leia just nodded and ushered her to the glass tube that would take her up into the arena.

"Good luck, girl on fire." With that, the tube began to rise, taking her up into the arena. 

It took a few moments for her eyes to get used to the sunlight, but when she could see well enough, her gaze swept across the terrain in front of her.The tributes were in agrassy ring around the Cornucopia. Supplies lay all over the clearing, though anyone could see that the most deadly weapons were the ones spilling out of the golden horn. But, Rey knew they would also be the hardest to get to, since everyone would be fighting for them at once. Surveying the tributes closest to her, she recognized none of them. They seemed to be eyeing her in return, some glaring or grinning fiercely. Others looked away when they saw her watching them.She didn't see Ben at all. She told herself this was a good thing, but her traitorous heart worried, wondering where he was and hoping he would be safe when the Games started.

"5...4...3..." How did she miss the countdown starting? She focused all of her concentration on a small backpack about twenty-five to thirty yards away and poised to sprint. The gong sounded, making her jump a little bit, but she ran straight for the backpack, scooping it up and turning around. Behind her, as far as she could see, was a mass of woods. Heading for a gap between two of the trees, she started sprinting away. Some animal sense told her about the spear before it was even close to her. she dove to the ground with lightening-fast reflexes, and it whizzed over her head. Pushing up off the ground, Rey kept running toward the trees.

"You all stay here!" Phasma's voice rang out. "You, Cardinal, you're with me!" Rey heard the footsteps chasing after her as she crashed through the woods. Somehow managing to unzip the backpack a little, she dug though it, cutting her hand on a sharp blade.

"Ow!" she whispered, muttering a curse as she pulled the blade out. Suddenly, Rey skidded to a stop. Peering over the edge of the rock she almost ran off, she saw a small pond below. A sheet of ice covered the surface. Turning back around, her pursuers had caught up to her.

''There you are," Phasma said,grinning as she pulled out a long pointed spear. Rey inhaled a shaky breath and glanced behind her as if she could make the icy lake disappear into more woods for her to hide in. Too much to hope for. Phasma and Cardinal came even closer, weapons ready. Rey took a step back, and time seemed to slow. Her foot slipping on a patch of ice. Throwing her arms out, trying to stay upright. Falling backwards. Air rushing by. A jolt of pain as her back slammed into the ice. Taking one last gulp of air before the water claimed her. Then the cold exploded all over, driving its dagger-like claws into her skin. She cried out, but the sound was absorbed by the water. Rey did not know how to swim. Her father had promised to teach her when she turned six, but he had died before that.Her lungs were about to explode, and she tried to take a breath. Instead she ended up inhaling water. Rey knew she had to get above the surface. With all the strength left in her body, she pushed off the bottom of the pond, but her hands slammed into a thick wall.

_ It's the ice, _ she realized.  _It's too strong. I have to break it. But I can't..._ That was her last thought before everything turned to darkness.

"Rey? Omigod, Rey! Rey are you alive? No,no,no, please don't be dead, please, Rey!"

_ What...? _

"Rey, come on, wake up! Please, Rey. Don't be dead. No, no, no, no, come on..."

Rey opened her eyes the tiniest bit.  _ Ben...? _ He crouched down beside her, grasping her hand. He reached forward to brush her soaking, matted hair out of her face.

"Ben...?" She whispered. He looked up, startled.

"Rey? Rey, you're alive! What happened to you?"

"I... I fell into the water." 

"That would explain why you're freezing and wet," he said, more to himself. "You're really lucky you managed to swim out. You could have died."

"I didn't swim out. I don't know how I ended up here."

"Well what do you remember? Actually, don't answer that. You need to get somewhere warm before you freeze. Do you think you can walk?"

Rey tried to stand, but she was just barely able to sit up. "No, I don't think so. You should go now. Take my backpack and run. Go home."

"I'm not leaving," he told her. "So don't even think about it." He picked her up and carried her in his arms through the forest. He stayed silent, eyes combing the woods for something. She wanted to ask what, but she didn't have to energy. Rey closed her eyes and wondered what Poe and Finn were doing. Would they be working in the mines? Would they be watching the Games? What would Rose be doing? Would she be cheering for Rey? Finally, Ben slowed to a stop.

"This should work. I knew I saw a cave on the way here." He set her down, and she moved off to the side of the small cave formed by piled rocks, making room for him to come in. With the two of them it was a bit cramped, but after some adjusting they managed to fit comfortably. 

"Take your jacket off," Ben instructed. She pulled off the soaked, wet material and handed it to him. "Alright. Now take mine." He unzipped his and tossed it to her. The jacket was way too big on her, but it was warmer than her other one. "Okay, can you take off your shirt? You really should take all your wet clothing off, but we don't have any extra."

"Okay. She blushed. "Um...sorry, can you turn away?"

"Yeah, sure," he said quickly.

"Ugh, Han's going to be having a party up there," Rey sighed as she changed into his jacket.

"Don't remind me. So what happened?"

"Well... When the gong rang, I grabbed a backpack. Then Phasma and Cardinal started chasing me. I kept running until I got to that big flat rock by the lake. I got stuck at the edge, and they were getting closer. So I took a step back, but my foot slipped and I fell in."

"What happened next?"

"Next...next...next... I can't swim, so I panicked and tried to get out, but I hit the ice. It didn't break, and I couldn't hold my breath any more. Then I passed out. And I woke up on the side of the lake with you."

"Huh. Well, it looks like we're stuck here."

"What? No, you have to go somewhere safe so you can win. I'm not going to make it. You have to go."

"I told you already, im not leaving you."

"Only one tribute can win, Ben. What are you going to do when we're the last two?"

"Don't think about that right now. For now, I'm going to take care of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame everything in this chapter on the song Farewell, by John Williams. :}


	16. Storytelling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized I completely forgot to update this! Here’s the chapter I was supposed to release, and I apologize for being a nerfherder + being late!

In the distance, a cannon blasted repeatedly. Rey and Ben fell silent, both mentally counting the number of shots.

"Twelve," Rey breathed, shivering with cold and fear. Twelve gone. In less than three hours, twelve children were already bleeding out on the ground, waiting to be collected by a Capitol hovercraft. Only ten enemies left. As hard as she tried, Rey could not think of Ben as an enemy. She could only hope one of them would die before they were forced to kill each other. She shook her head, trying to erase the image of the twelve already dead kids.  _ And if it weren't for Ben, I might have been one of them.  _

"Come over, they're showing who died outside of the Bloodbath," Ben called her. She started to crawl over but froze, hissing in pain. 

"Ow," she muttered, gritting her teeth against the pain shooting up her leg.

"You alright?" Ben asked immediately, crawling back to where she was.

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting that." She adjusted back into a sitting position as he watched her, concerned. Tentatively, he reached over. his fingers just barely brushed her right leg. She squeezed her eyes shut, tensing.

"Okay," he said slowly, "this might hurt..." He rolled up her pant leg, and she had to bite her lip so she wouldn't look weak. She heard a gasp, and Ben looked up at her. 

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

"Oh no. Good news?"

"The good news is you're still alive. If it's a miracle you made it out of the lake, then I don't know what to call this. The bad news is, you probably won't be alive for much longer unless we act fast."

"What?''

"You must have cut yourself on a rock or been bitten by something in the water. There's a huge cut on your leg. Huge. Like I said, if we don't act fast, you're probably going to die."

"Then let me. You'll go home then," she said somberly. Even the smallest scrape could be deadly in an arena with bloodthirsty tributes and mutts and all sorts of other dangers. And if she didn't win, well Ben was a nice friend, and he deserved to make it home. It was what Leia would have wanted. Poe and Finn would get over it eventually. No one needed her.

"When are you going to get it through your head that I'm not leaving you to die!" Ben cried, exasperated.

"When are you going to accept only one of us is coming out of this alive! If there's a small chance of me living, you should win. Besides, Han and Leia-"

"No. I'm not talking about them right now. And I'm not leaving you either. End of discussion."

"Ben-"

"End. Of. Discussion."

"Fine. for now."

"No. I'm not leaving you, even if you try to run away from me. I won't let you die." His expression softened, and her looked at her, concerned. "Now come over here, you're shivering."

He shifted to the side and she curled up against him. 

"I had the weirdest dream last night," Rey whispered under her breath.

"You did?"

"Yeah. There was this little girl and she was crying-something about a nightmare. Her name was Padmé. You and I sang that song from the roof with her."

"My grandmother's name was Padmé. Padmé Amidala. She was in the rebellion against the Capitol. Before the Games..."

Rey tried to imagine a life without the Hunger Games. Without the fear of your friends and family being ripped away from you. Without having to watch as 23 children were brutally murdered every year. "Isn't your mother's name Leia Organa?" she asked. 

"Yes. My grandfather and grandmother got married in secret, they were important figures in the war, and my grandfather Anakin was forbidden from marrying. But eventually Anakin turned to the dark side and it broke Padmé's heart. She gave birth to twins, my mother and her brother Luke, and died. Anakin went on to become Darth Vader, the former president's right hand man. The children were secretly given to two separate families. Luke and Leia were eventually told that they were siblings, and the rest of their past, but Vader didn't find out about his children until the day he died."

"Your mother had a brother?" Rey was shocked by all of the new things she was learning about her friend. 

"Yes, his full name was Luke Skywalker. His father's brother-in-law adopted him when he and Leia were hidden. He and my mother were reaped the same year. They tried to find each other in the arena. planned to work together. She didn't find him until it was too late."

"Oh, Ben..."

"It's fine. Tell me about your family," he said, putting an arm around her. She smiled a little and inched closer.

"Well... I'll start with my mother's side. My grandfather's name was Galen Erso. He was a scientist who worked for the Capitol, building their superweapon, the Death Star. He was married to my grandmother, Lyra Erso. Eventually he realized the Capitol’s empire was evil, and he and Lyra ran away to the most remote and unnoticeable district in Panem. They had one daughter, Jyn Erso. The family resisted the Capitol's rule, keeping the plans for the Death Star safely hidden. But eventually the Capitol found out. The Capitol sent peacekeepers who killedLyra. They took Galen with them to finsh the Death Star. Jyn managed to escape. She worked with one of the groups resisting the Capitol for a while. The group eventually had to abandon her after many, many years. She was arrested by peacekeepers and taken to the labor camp Wobani. Cassian and some other rebels broke her out. Long story short, it was because they wanted to kill her father. Galen did die,the Capitol killed him for betraying them and giving a map to the Death Star plans to someone on Jyn and Cassian's team.Jyn, Cassian, and their team stole a ship, traveled to the place where the plans were hidden, stole the plans, got them back to the rebel group, and retired and eventually I was born. The rebels destroyed the weapon, but the rebellion was crushed as you already know. That's really all I know about my family without going into crazy details. But can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"You won't tell a single living soul?"

"Cross my heart."

Rey leaned over and whispered in his ear. "My mother once told me she thought there were still some of the rebel groups out there. Small groups, in hiding, but still out there, still alive."

Ben looked excited by the idea. "Do you really think so?"

She couldn't help but grin. As the daughter of two rebels? Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did anyone see that Wobani spells Obi-Wan? That’s just rude, Anakin...


	17. Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so if you’re reading this as it’s being published, you know that this is just completely random.   
> I wrote two chapters one week, this one and Mockingjays. But I accidentally posted Mockingjays and skipped this one. I just realized my mistake now, and ended up posting this late chapter. I apologize for adding in a random chapter.

"I wonder if we'll ever meet one," Ben said thoughtfully.

"We might," Rey whispered. "But we probably wouldn't know it. They'd have to be secretive. So they wouldn't tell us."

"Good point." They fell into silence. Rey started to fall asleep, her eyelids drooping, the soft rhythmic sound of their breathing like a lullaby.

"Rey?" She blinked the sleepiness away. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything."

"Have you ever been in love before? Like real, true love?"

She thought for a while. "I don't really know what that kind of love would feel like."

"It's when you care about somebody a lot. You don't want them to get hurt, you'd protect them with your life. And you like being with them. And..."

"Have you ever loved anyone? Besides your family?"

"You, of course."

Her breath caught in her throat as she remembered the interview. And that night, how he told her he actually did love her. "You haven't noticed anyone else? I mean there are tons of merchants' daughters that love you. You haven't noticed  _anybody_ ?"

"I've noticedevery other girl in District 12. You're the only one I loved though."

She didn't have anything else to say, and the silence took over again.

"The sun's going down," Ben whispered to her, "you should try to get some rest."

"No, I'll be fine," she protested, suppressing a yawn.

"Just get some rest. I'll wake you up later."

"Fine," she agreed, falling asleep almost as soon as her eyes closed.

*********************************************************

Rey woke to the sound of the anthem playing. She was still curled up against Ben, who had also fallen asleep.

"I think they're finally showing who died in the Bloodbath today," he said, crawling over to the opening in the cave entrance. Rey started following him, but froze, biting her lip as her leg protested.

"You okay?" Ben was at her side in a second, his steady hand grasping hers.

"Yeah. I keep forgetting, I'm so stupid."

Shaking his head, he helped her over to the cave entrance. Twelve faces flashed across the sky. She didn't even know their names. It made her sick. _T_ _ hose people had lives. They had homes. They had families. They had friends. They had people waiting for them. People who will never see them again. And I could have been one of them.  _ She released a shaky breath she didn't know she had been holding. Ben put an arm around her like he could sense her thoughts.

"How do you do it?" She asked softly. "How do you survive meeting these people and getting to know them then having to watch them die?"

"You don't. You just... I don't know. You know, if you win, that'll be your job."

He was right. If Rey won, the tradition of mentorship would be passed on. It would be her job to train the girl from District 12. Towork with Han, knowing that she could have saved Ben. Knowing he could have been the one who had lived, and everyone would be happy. She looked up to try to distract herself.

"Oh no,"she breathed.

"What is it?"

"Ben Solo, tell me that's not smoke." Her eyes focused on a spot about twenty yards away.

"Smoke? Where-oh. Yeah, it is." 

"Do you have a weapon?"

"What?”

"Do. You. Have. A. Weapon." Her voice was low and serious as it could be.

"Yes, a sword, but I don't-"

"Get it. Quick. And can you pass my knife?"

"Yeah, sure." He moved away to where they had tossed their supplies aside. Rey could practically sense the confusion radiating off him.

"I promise I'll explain this in a moment," she whispered.

"Great," he said, handing her the knife.

"Okay, now both of us need to hide in the darkest part of this cave." She crawled over to the corner, grabbing her backpack and pulling it with her. Ben followed with his supplies. When they were huddled in the corner, Rey explained as softly as she could.

"What we saw? That smoke? That means another tribute started a campfire. There's a reason Poe makes me watch the Games closely every year. After the Bloodbath, the Careers always hunt. The tributes who fought usually have some injury. Besides, they wouldn't have enough time to set up a good camp or any means of camouflage. Smoke from a fire will attract the Careers. Easy prey. So by being near the fire starter, we are automatically endangered. We have to stay quiet until we're one hundred percent sure it's safe."

"Oh, so that's why you freaked out." 

"Yeah, basically. Now we have to be quiet!" She whisper-yelled.

"Sorry," he whispered back. Suddenly, footsteps sounded, coming closer and closer.

"Get behind me," Ben whispered suddenly.

"What? Why?" Rey asked, shifting behind him anyway.

He turned around and smiled a little. "Because I don't want you to get hurt." 

She managed a nervous smile in reply, before schooling her expression back to seriousness. Both of them waited on their hands and knees, silent and tense. Rey peered around Ben, listening nervously as the footsteps ran right by their hiding spot. Suddenly a girl's scream sliced trough the silence. Rey winced, and the cannon boomed. The knife in her hand shook.

"That's thirteen!" One of the Careers shouted triumphantly. Then the footsteps started off again. For ten minutes, they waited for the footsteps to return. Finally, Ben let out a sigh of relief. Rey finally released out the breath she had been holding, afraid it would have alerted their hunters to the easy prey trapped in the cave. Ben pulled her into a hug and all of the fear came pouring out of her. She melted into his embrace, shaking her head.

"I thought they would find us," she whispered. "I thought they would hear us for sure."

"Even if they did, I wouldn't let them anywhere near you," he promised, hugging her even tighter. That just made her feel even worse, and she blinked back tears.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad," he told her, rocking back and forth a little. "They would never find us. You knew ahead of time to hide and be quiet. We were fine."

She just shook her head. "I don't know, Ben. I just don't know. They're so smart and fast and strong."

"Well we're strong too. Just in a different way."

"I'm going to die in a few days, and we don't even know if we have any food or water to survive anyway. So even when I die, you're probably going to starve or die from lack of water. Don't call us strong."

"Well you're smart and know about hunting and fighting. I'm good at camouflage and staying hidden. We could make a good team."

"You're crazy," she said, but she couldn't suppress a hopeful smile.

"Maybe. but if we're going to survive, we're going to need all the crazy we can get."


	18. Mockingjays

_ Rey falls through the ice. It cracks against her back, sending a sharp jolt of pain up her spine. Underwater, she fights, searching for air. Instead, she inhales water, coughing it back out. She pushes off the firm bottom, and blood dyes the water as her numb leg scrapes against the sharp side of a rock, one of many littered across the floor. Her palms hit the unyielding ice, pleading with it to crack. It stands firm. She pushes harder, but still nothing. She must crack the ice open, but she is losing strength... Everything fades, and suddenly Rey is watching herself from a distance. An unconscious girl, dark blood flowing from her leg to taint the water, her hair covering part of her face, her hands still outstretched towards the ice. The girl-herself- sinks to the bottom, and any moment now she will be gone forever. But suddenly people appear. A man and a woman. The woman wears a long flowy dress, the man a loose shirt and pants. They could almost be District 12 citizens, if Rey didn't know they weren’t. And if they weren't glowing. The couple hovers in the water, breathing as if they are on land and glowing a pale blue color. They argue back and forth. _

_ "We have to save her," the woman says. _

_ "We can't. You know we can't," the man replies. _

_ "Ani, when has that ever stopped us?" _

_ "You know we shouldn't..." _

_ "You know you want to. Think about Ben. If she dies, he'll be devastated." _

_ "You died." _

_ "Yes and look where that got you," she protests. "We have to help her. Come on Ani." _

_ "This is going to be like that time in the weapons factory isn't it?" _

_ "Minus the certain death factor," the woman says with a shrug.  _

_ "You know, sometimes we make terrible choices." _

_ "Sometimes?" the woman asks teasingly.  _

_ "I'll do it," the man agrees. The woman lights up, smiling proudly. She wraps her arms around the man. "Let's do it." _

_ They kneel down beside the nearly dead girl, enveloping her in a hug, and pulling her upwards, above the surface. Rey followed them, watching astonished. They set the girl down beside the lake. _

_ "Come on," the man said, standing. "we've got to go." _

_ The woman leaned down to kiss the girl's forehead, before standing up. _

_ "He'll be here in a few minutes," the man said. The woman nodded, and the glowing blue couple vanished. _

Rey woke, confused. Was it really just a dream? It couldn't have been. It was as vivid as her memories. Even more, since she could hardly remember her parents some days. The couple in the dream...they had reminded her of Ben a little. And herself. 

She carefully slipped out of Ben's arms, trying not to wake him up. Crawling to the opening, she peered out. For a few minutes, Rey sat listening to the birds.  _ Wait a minute... Mockingjays! _ She looked around, trying to find where the birds perched. Sucking in a deep breath, she sang four soft, simple notes.

A few birds paused their singing.

She repeated the notes, a little louder. 

More mockingjays froze. 

Rey sang her simple melody one last time, and the birds sang back. One by one, the mockingjays took her notes and changed them into something beautiful. The notes melded together, flowing and dipping. Rey felt herself swept away by the melody, picked up and carried off into a fantasy world where she and her friends and family were safe. She closed her eyes, swaying to the rhythm.

"They really do love you." Ben's voice froze her mid-sway.Rey whipped around, blushing. 

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" She tried to cover her embarrassment.

"No," he said, tilting his head a little as he watched her. "You have a beautiful voice"

For some stupid reason, this made her blush even harder. "That's the mockingjays, not me."

"They...respect you. Most of them will ignore people who sing to them. Besides, I heard your meadow song."

"There's another verse to that, you know." She didn't know why she said it. Ugh, why did she always have to feel so awkward when people complimented her singing?

"Will you sing it for me?"

She hesitated. "Well...sure. Maybe the mockingjays will listen, too."

"Maybe."

"Yeah."

"So are you going to sing?"

"I'm working on it." Rey closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, then began.

" _ Deep in the meadow, _

_ hidden far away _

_ A cloak of leaves, _

_ A moonbeam ray, _

_ Forget your woes, _

_ And let your troubles lay, _

_ And when again it's morning, _

_ They'll all wash away _

_ Here it's safe _

_ And here it's warm _

_ Here the daisies guard you from every harm _

_ Here your dreams are sweet _

_ and tommorow brings them true _

_ Here is the place where I love you." _

The song faded away, only to be picked up and bounced around by the mockingjays outside. Ben stared at her like he was a fairytale creature come to life. Finally he shook his head and grinned at her.

"Rey, that is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I swear. It's like a mockingjay in human body. Come on, we should do something about that leg. And we didn't get to sort our supplies either. I don't even know what's in the pouch I got yet."

She pulled her gaze away from the mockingjays outside to follow him back into the darkness of the cave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the couple in the dream wasn’t impossible to guess? It’s another couple that often has parallels with Reylo. All these weird dreams that totally aren’t true...;)


	19. Healing

"Okay," Rey said, dumping the contents of their packs on the ground. "You sort the food and water, I'll sort the weapons and other things. Good plan?"

"Works for me."

They got to work, sifting through the little pile of supplies they had. Rey found her knife along with a long sword Ben had gotten. Moving those aside in a weapons pile, she also came up with a sleeping bag, a blanket, a basic first aid kit, a rope, and a little metal pot. Ben sorted his things, and ended up with some crackers and three bottles of water. Only one was full.

"Not a bad haul," Ben said, sitting back and inspecting the small piles.

Rey nodded in agreement. "We'll need to find water soon. One bottle won't last us more than a day."

"That lake's nearby. Can't be more than a ten minute walk. We'll need food, too."

"We've got rope. I can set traps. We'll have food in no time"

"Once we treat your leg of course," Ben reminded. She sighed.

"Do you know anything about healing?"

"No. You?"

"Nothing," she said, sighing again. "Well, at least you won't have to tell my parents I love them."

"Don't say that. You're not going to die. I can promise you that."

"Ben, don't make promises you can't keep."

"I don't," he said confidently, reaching for the first aid kit. "Maybe we can find something in this...?"

"You won't," she said, shaking her head. "That's just gotthe basic stuff. bandages and cough drops, stuff like that. You're not going to find anything good there."

he ignored her, opening the small kit and pouring out the contents. 

"Some bandages," he counted. "Those should help." He set them off to the side. "Some pills to reduce fevers. Think we could use those? Don't answer that. Hey, cough drops, you were right. Well we can't use those anyway."

She tuned him out as he sorted through the small amount of first aid supplies they had. She was probably going to die. No matter what was in that kit, she knew enough to determine that it wouldn't be enough. Rey just hoped Ben wouldn't do anything stupid when she died. 

"Okay, let's try this. I don't actually know what I'm doing, so this might actually make it worse," he warned.

"Let's go." 

He smeared some of the burn cream on her leg. "Maybe this can help with the pain?"

She winced. "Nope."

"Okay...I'm just going to bandage it up? So you don't start bleeding again? That sounds like a good idea, I think."

"Sounds good to me. You've got blood all over your clothes."

''Oh yeah. Ew, it looks like I tried to kill you."

"Ben, that's disgusting!"

They both laughed, and he wrapped the long white strip of cloth around her leg. She winced and closed her eyes, determined not to show any weakness. 

"Too tight?"

"No...just. Hurts."

He leaned into her, gently taking her hand. "You're going to be fine. You're going to live. We both are."

"Ben-" she started to protest, but hidden speakers blared an important announcement to the tributes. Rey wondered what it was. It was only the second day in the arena. Typically, towards the end, tributes would be invited to a feast of sorts. But never this early. 

"This is a very important announcement for some of you, so listen close. A new rule has been added: If they are from the same district, two tributes may win this year's Hunger Games."

Rey and Ben were silent, trying to comprehend this new announcement. 

"Two tributes from the same district..." Rey breathed. "Ben, we can win! We can go home  _ together _ !"

They practically crashed into each other. Ben crushed her in a hug, and she shifted to whisper in his ear. "Alright, I won't die."

"You better not," he whispered, holding her even tighter. "I won't let you if the president himself tries to kill you." 

She just grinned, positioning her leg so the injury wouldn't be provoked. 

"We're going home," he whispered in her ear, again and again and again. Finally, they pulled apart. 

"You rest," Ben ordered. "I'll keep watch."

"Are you sure?"

"It'll be fine" 

"Wake me in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay."

When Rey woke, hours later, Ben had fallen asleep next to her, hugging her close. She tried to move, but he murmured something and grasped her arm. 

"Ben, wake up," she whispered teasingly. He opened his eyes halfway, kissed her cheek, and fell back asleep. 

"I love you too," Rey said softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> She finally said it!!!!! Actually, I don’t think they ever officially said ‘I love you’ to each other onscreen at all... 😭


	20. Force

“How did your parents meet?"

She looked over. "Huh?"

"Your parents. How did they meet?"

She smiled at the memory of another one of Jyn and Cassian's stories, how one wouldtrail off only to be picked up by the other. "Please, call them Jyn and Cassian. that's what everybody called them."

"Even you?"

"No of course not. But everyone else."

"So how did they meet?"

"Well Jyn was in one of the Capitol's prisons.Cassian and his group were assigned to getting her out. But there were a few complications."

"Like?"

"Well, only one. The Capitol prison was guarded by tracker jacker nests. That's why none of the prisoners tried to escape.The rebels had worn protective armor, so the tracker jackers couldn't get them.All of the bugs targeted the only unprotected one there. Jyn. The rebels tried to drag her after them, but it was a waste of time. They were just going to leave her there, but Cassian refused. Carried her the whole way back to the hovercraft. She was out for three days, and in that time, the tracker jacker venom... Wait, you know what tracker jackers are, right?"

"I've heard of them, but I don't really know anything about them."

"Tracker jackers are wasps the Capitol created to use against the rebels. They aren't like the you-leave-us-alone-we-leave-you-alone wasps. They'll attack you immediately, and their stings target the part of your brain that houses fear. So getting stung by one literally means your worst fears are brought to life- until them venom wears off of course. So the tracker jacker venom was working its magic. Anyone laid a finger on her, she'd thrash and scream like they were murdering her. Cassian was the only one she'd let near her. Some part of her remembered he had saved her. When she woke up, you know the rest."

"Wow. And I thought we met in weird circumstances."

"How did your parents meet?"

"I... I never really asked. they were always busy with something. 

"Oh." There was a long silence. Finally, Rey crawled over and wrapped her arms around Ben. He hugged her back, then pulled away quickly. "Ow!"

"You okay?"

"Yeah." He inspected his palm. "Poked myself with something. I think it's that necklace of yours."

She pulled the necklace out from where it had been covered by her shirt- his jacket technically, since he had given it to her after she had fallen in the lake. "Sorry."

He didn't seem to hear her apology. Instead, he had become fixated on the blue crystal. "Ben?"

"Rey, do you know what that is?"

"The necklace? It's a gift. My mother had one just like it, it's my token. Apparently she wanted me to have it when I was old enough."

"No, the crystal. Do you know what that is?"

"It's...I don't know. I'd ask her but, I can't."

"Rey, that's-that's a-you're like me!"

"Ben, what are you even-?"

"You need some rest," he interrupted quickly. "Come on, we can test out that sleeping bag. See if it's useful."

"Wait, what? Look, can you explain to me what is going on right now?"

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. I just thought it was something else.”

“But-“

He shook his head and pulled her over to the sleeping bag. She reluctantly slipped inside, and he crawled in next to her, putting one arm around her protectively.

"Listen," he whispered, his lips brushing her ear, "We need to pretend to sleep. I'll tell you, I promise."

"Alright," she closed her eyes, trying to sound upset for the cameras that could be watching their every move.

"What do you know about kyber crystals?"

"Nothing." Her lips barely moved.

"The force?"

"What?"

"Jedi?"

""Ben, are you sure that's a thing?"

"Do you trust me?"

"What?" She was starting to feel annoyed. He was acting so serious, but she didn't know if he was trying to trick her.

"Look, I just want you to know, that everything I tell you is true. I'm not lying to you. I wouldn't lie to you if my life depended on it."

"O-okay." Well, that ruled out the tricking part.

"Alright. So I'll start with the force."

"The force?" She breathed.

"It's the energy around us that connects everything in the universe. You, me, the trees, the lake, those mockingjays outside. And some people can harness it, use it to do unnatural things. Those who consider themselves using it for good, peace, things like that, they're Jedi, and they use the light side of the force. Those who people say use it for evil, for destruction, for hate and greed, they use the dark side of the Force, and they're called Sith. Kyber crystals are used to make a weapon used by Jedi and Sith, called a lightsaber. It's a very powerful weapon, it can cut through almost anything. It's how my uncle almost won his Games. He brought his crystal into the arena with him, and created a lightsaber. Turned out to be pretty deadly with it too, until a tribute caught him from behind. He wasn't even supposed to be a Jedi. The only Jedi or Sith alive anymore are in the Capitol. And of course, Luke and Leia." He hadn't raised his voice above the softest whisper.

"But Ben..." She opened her eyes, not knowing where she wanted to start. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because," he opened his eyes and cupped her cheek in his hand. "You're one of us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting that this ended up being chapter 19 :) I didn’t even plan that. Anyway, hopefully the weird bit at the end of chapter 10 makes sense now?


	21. Vision

"I'm...what?"

"Rey, you have the potential to harness the Force. You are very strong in the Force, practically a beacon. I didn't question it, but seeing your necklace..." He shifted away from her for a few seconds, then slipped something into her palm. Upon closer inspection, she found it was a necklace like hers. His was a thin gold chain, with a blood red crystal. 

"So you have it too?" She whispered.

"It's often passed down through family members. Anakin was a powerful Jedi, and his children Luke and Leia were too. Now, as the son of Leia Organa, I basically inherited those powers."

"But... Are there any more Jedi or Sith?"

"There's a possibility that there could be a few in the districts, but it's very rare. Only Capitol citizens are force-sensitive, and the Capitol hunted down any force-sensitives in the districts to make sure the districts couldn't rebel- they wouldn't be powerful enough. That's why Luke and Leia were hidden."

"Then how am I, you know, how can I... Jyn and Cassian weren't force-sensitive. So how am I?"

"It's not always passed on to family. Anakin had no father, and his mother wasn't force-sensitive, but he was one of the most powerful Jedi ever."

"I'm sorry, it's just a lot to take in right now, this is crazy. Did you know? About me?"

"No. I thought I was the only one. Honestly I don't know why I didn't figure it out earlier, this is amazing!" He sounded excited, like thousands of new possibilities had appeared out of nowhere. Maybe they had. Rey picked up her necklace to put it back on, and their crystals clicked against each other. They both began to glow an odd white-gold color, and Rey dropped them, frightened.

"What did I do?" She asked. Ben opened his mouth to reply, but a flash of light blinded them both and suddenly they were falling...

"Ow..." Rey moaned, standing up and looking around. Ben stood beside her, also confused.

"What did you do with those crystals?" He asked.

"I don't know, they touched, and they started to glow. that's all I remember.Did I trigger something?"

"I don't know. I've never heard about this kind of thing hap- hey, she looks like you!" Ben pointed over to a small crowd of people. Most of them sat in rows of chairs, chatting. Rey scanned the crowd and finally saw who he was talking about. A girl, maybe a few years older, in a dress almost exactly the same as her mother's. She was beaming eagerly as she talked animatedly with a girl who looked a lot like Rose, just a few years older. 

"Ben... I think that is me. I mean I'm right here. But she's also me. Does that sound weird to you?"

"It's a force vision," he said suddenly, "that's what happened. The crystals touching must have triggered something.This is a glimpse into the past or the future."

"Well this obviously didn't happen already. You want to go check it out?" 

"Sure. They won't be able to hear or see us. This is like we're walking through a dream. So don't be surprised if somebody walks through you!"

"That could happen?"

"Maybe."

They walked over to where vision-Rey stood. They couldn't hear what she and vision-Rose were saying, but both girls seemed to be bursting with happiness. Vision-Rose turned and found a seat in the crowd, and Rey looked over and waved to someone across from her.

"Oh," Rey breathed as she turned to see who her older self was waving to. "Ben, that's you."

He wore a simple but nice shirt and pants, and also looked so happy and full of life. They walked to meet each other in the middle, and the very front of the crowd.

"What are they- we -doing?" Ben asked.

"I wouldn't know, but it looks good."

"Do you even know where we are?" He asked as Poe and Leia walked to the front to stand by vision-Rey and vision-Ben. They started to talk, but since Rey and Ben couldn't actually hear anything, they tuned out their vision-family members.

Rey took a quick look around. "We're in the Meadow in District 12. But it's a lot nicer. And look, the fence is gone."

"Are you sure this is 12?"

"Definitely. I've spent more time in the Meadow than the rest of 12 combined."

The audience stood, applauding, and their attention was immediately pulled back to their older selves. Vision-Rey and vision-Ben turned to the pit behind them. Working together, they built a fire. It wasn't until vision-Ben cut two chunks of bread off of a loaf and vision-Rey speared them with sticks that she finally understood.

"Ben, I know what this is. I know what's happening. This is a Toasting."

"A what?"

"Your parents were married in the Capitol, so they probably wouldn't have done this, but one of the oldest wedding traditions is the Toasting. the couple builds their first fire together and toasts bread to symbolize the new beginnings. They're- We're -getting married."

He stared at her silently for a few minutes. She just shrugged. "It's true. My mother has a picture of her Toasting. She said Cassian almost lit her dress on fire."

Suddenly there was another flash of light, and they found themselves back in the cave, in the exact same positions as earlier.

"What just happened?" Rey asked, shaking her head to try to clear away the confusion.

"The vision ended," Ben explained, "and now we're back in the real world. We were frozen in place, but time wasn't. It's dark out, they'll start the anthem soon."

As if he had predicted it (maybe he had, Rey didn't know what he could do with the force) the anthem blared all across the arena. 

"Just one today," Ben counted after the projection on the screen vanished. "How many are dead?"

"Thirteen. The boy from 1, the boy from 2, both from 5, both from 6, the girl from 7, both from 8, the girl form 9, both from 10, and the girl from 11."

"Two Careers died?"

"Usually one Career dies in the Bloodbath," Rey recited from memory, "but the boy from 2- Cardinal, I think his name was- wasn't very strong at all. He got one of the lowest scores."

"Phasma picked off a lot of the kids who died in the Bloodbath. I was only there for a minute but she killed three or four in that time. We'd better watch out for her."

"Definitely. So how many can still win the partners rule?"

"District 3 and District 4. And us, of course."

"You really think we could win?" Rey asked. "And don't just say yes, do you actually think we could make it back home?"

Ben thought for a while. "We definitely have a chance. but we're going to have to fight as hard as we can for it."

Rey grinned. "That shouldn't be a problem."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This vision totally isn’t going to happen in the future, right? Right? Anyone? Okay then...  
> Anyway, a huge thank you to everyone for all the comments and kudos! They mean a lot to me, especially since this was my first work on AO3, and I’m glad that people actually enjoy it.   
> May the odds be EVER in your favor.


	22. Love

"How do you know if you're in love?" Rey asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Like... I don't know, your parents. How did they know they were in love? How can you tell?"

He thought for a few minutes, and she watched him carefully, trying to see his reaction to her question. "Well... I think it's different for everybody. Like our experience of District 12. We both see it in different way, but it's still the same thing we're talking about- District 12, our home."

"How did you know?" He turned to look her in the eye mischievously, and she laughed.

"I remember, the first day of school. A big group of merchants' kids walked to to school together, and I was with them. Seam kids stick together, merchant kids stick together. And I saw you, and I must have been staring or something, because one of the merchants walking us to school said 'Don't pay attention to her, she's just a Seam kid.' But it didn't stop me from watching you. I listened while you sang the song with that beautiful voice. I watched you play with the other Seam kids, running around, and laughing. I watched you leave at the end of the day. Your mother picked you up from school to walk you home, and I watched you two until I had to leave. And I felt something, but back then I couldn't name it. Eventually, I grew up, I learned what love was, and I realized that was it- that's what that feeling was."

"Woah... That was...woah."

"I don't know, that's how it was for me. It's probably going to be different for everyone. Did that at least help?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it helped."

"You okay?"

"Of course."

Are you sure about that?"

"Ben, stop looking at me like that! I'm fine." she shook her head.

"Well, you're asking me what falling in love is like. That seems like the opposite of the Rey I know."

She raised an eyebrow. "The Rey you know?"

He laughed. "All right, I'll admit, I've been watching you a lot more than the first day of school."

"So who's this Rey you know? And how am I disappointing you now?"

Ben looked flustered. "No, no, no! you're not disappointing me at all! But every time I've seen you before, you've been pretty quiet."

"...And?"

"She's usually preoccupied with helping her family. She spends her free time at the Hob or...or in the Meadow.And she works with Rose all the time, though she doesn't really talk- but she's not shy. And more than anything else in the world, Rey cares about her family. Both dead and alive."

"Both?" Rey asked quietly, looking up at him.

"Every day after her mother and father died, she went to the closed off entrance to the mines, and stand with her head bent for almost an hour. And every time, tears would run down her cheeks, and splash to the ground. She still thinks about them sometimes, even though it's been years. You can tell, because her eyes always seem distant, and her shoulders slump- though it’s just barely noticeable - and she seems to sink a little. And you can still see that same girl who stood in front of her parents' graves all those years ago."

Rey couldn't speak for a few minutes. His story had captivated her. It hadn't even been that interesting. But the sound of his voice, the way he told the story? 

"I guess I never thought she would be interested in a topic like love."

"She's not, normally. So you've been watching me?"

"I guess. It sounds weird to say it out loud, yeah, but I just...pay attention to you. And not many people do. But now they will."

"Well, I guess the arena changes us all. You've changed." Rey covered her mouth. She hadn't meant for that last part to slip out. He smiled knowingly at her. "Oh I have, have I?"

She tried to smooth over her mistake. "Remember we used to fight a lot?Now we're here in the cave and you saved my life. We've come a long way from the reaping."

"We have," he agreed. "But some things never change."

"Yep. You still drive me crazy."

He smiled. "And you're still the one."

Rey couldn't stop herself from smiling a little, as she huddled even closer to Ben. He put an arm around her, and she grasped his hand. "And you'll always be the one," she whispered. "And even the force, or kyber crystals, or the Hunger Games, or the president himself isn't going to change that." She rested her head against his shoulder. Ben stroked her hair. 

"You need to rest," she whispered reluctantly, "I've gotten plenty of sleep, but you've been awake almost the whole time."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I can defend myself," she protested.

"I don't mean that way. You've been alone since you were five years old. I don't want you to have to be lonely anymore."

"Well you're resting either way. Unless you plan on staying awake the whole Games?"

"If it means you'll be safe" he whispered into her ear, so soft she hardly hear it. But the words found their way to her heart, where they stubbornly rooted themselves. 

"Then we can both sleep."

"That sounds like a good compromise."

"Shh," Rey whispered, closing her eyes.

"Alright," he whispered back. 

Rey waited until she was sure he was asleep before wriggling out of his embrace. She grabbed her knife and rope, and crawled outside. The cool air hit her with a blast that almost knocked her over. Rey made her way over to a small stream, where she positioned herself after making sure the coast was clear. She could almost hear her father's voice, speaking to her from all those years ago. She could still feel his breath whispering into her ear. It had been a wintery day, the kind that numbs the tips of your fingers and turns your ears and cheeks red. The only sounds in the forest had been their breathing, the puffs of air collecting together in clouds before vanishing.

"Keep still," Cassian whispered. "And tense. Get ready. A fish could swim by at any time. And if you pay attention and strike at just the right time..." She remembered how she had been so proud after catching her first fish on her own. She had beamed as she showed it to Cassian, and he had smiled back and congratulated her. She still remembered it like it was yesterday. 

Her hand plunged into the water as a small silvery minnow swam by, and when she pulled the knife out, the fish was speared on the end. Smiling silently to herself, she positioned the knife over the water again.  After about twenty minutes, Rey had collected five of the silver fish that seemed oblivious to the human above.

Suddenly, she heard the boom of a cannon. She scanned the skies for signs of a hovercraft nearby, and froze again. There were footsteps coming in her direction. Instinctively, she turned towards the cave, but it was too far away to get to in time. She ducked into a bush, pulling the fish with her. 

"Rey?"She heard Ben call out. Rey silently muttered every curse she had ever heard Poe say, which was quite a lot since he usually didn't know she was listening. What was Ben doing? It hit her harder than a pile of bricks. He must have woken up after the cannon had gone off. And seeing that she was gone... _Oh no_. The owner of the footsteps would either find her or Ben. Or both. "Rey?!" 

Muttering a few more curses, Rey called back. "Ben!" Her voice must have shown some of the nervousness coursing through her. 

"Rey! Where are you?" 

"Over here!" Forget the mystery footsteps she’d heard. Anyone within a quarter mile of them would have heard their calls or Ben’s own footsteps as he crashed through the frozen forest.

"Rey," Ben whispered as he pushed past the bushes she was hidden behind. "Rey, are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt? I heard the cannon, and you were gone, Rey I thought you were dead!" 

"I was just finding food," she said, holding up the fish halfheartedly, but his expression was so worried her heart ached a little. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's fine," he said softly, shaking his head. "I panicked. You can take care of yourself. I get that. The cannon just... We should get back."

"Wait," Rey said, looking up. "I heard footsteps coming this way."

"That was me," he said. "I was running around. Come on, let's get back."

Rey started to stand up, but before she could get on her feet, Ben had picked her up and was carrying her back to the cave. She clung to him nervously, eyes trained on the ground. "Stop doing that!"

"What?" He asked, with that same mischevious smile.

"Picking me up randomly! And carrying me like your kriffing bride!" 

As they made their way back to the small cave, Rey and Ben laughed together for the first of many times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really REALLY didn’t want to bring COVID-19 into this, but just a few quick things. First, if you haven’t read A03’s newest update The OTW and COVID-19, I would highly recommend it. Second, with all the craziness going on right now I apologize in advance for any chapters that come out late because this fanfic got pushed to the back of my mind. Though I should have even more time to work on it now so there may be more chapters. Third, stay healthy, stay safe, and wash your hands!


	23. Kisses

"So, Rey.. I meant what I said before. You need a teacher. I can show you the ways of the force."

"What do you mean?"

"I could, I mean if you wanted to, since we're basically stuck here, I could try to teach you what I know about the force...?"

"You could... You could do that?"

"I don't know, it's just a suggestion. But I do know a little from my uncle's journals, and maybe I could try to help you understand it better. Never mind, it was a stupid idea."

"No, no! I don't, I really don't think that's a stupid idea at all." They both blushed and turned away. The silence stretched out to the point that Rey was feeling uncomfortable, when a soft thump startled them both. Ben was at the entrance in an instant, peering outside. 

"It's a gift!" He announced, pulling the small package inside. The item was wrapped in brown paper, with a small note tied to it. 

"The note has your name on it," Ben observed, handing the piece of paper to her. Rey unfolded it and smiled. 

"It's from Finn and Poe," she whispered.

"Read it out loud," Ben encouraged.

"Dear Rey. Just say yes already! You two are killing us. Even an idiot could tell that you two were made for each other," Rey paused, blushing a deeper shade of red than the blood covering most of the cave. "They also say that Poe definitely approves of you, and that the cave may be dark, but they saw you kiss me that one time in the morning. Oh, and Rose Tico said good luck."

Ben laughed. "Well, at least Rose and is being reasonable. You have some crazy family."

Rey was still mortified. "You realize I just read that to the entire country?"

"Of course. Let's see what this package is."

He pulled off the paper carefully, trying not to to tear the fragile wrapping. Inside was a small metal tin of cookies. Ben gasped and stared at them, awestruck.

"What are those," Rey asked.

"They're called Chocolate Kisses. Like the hot chocolate, but it's a cookie."

"I've never eaten a cookie before," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You've never had a cookie?" Ben asked, amazed. "You need to try these. My mom used to make them all the time, before she... They're really good anyway."

"What're they called again?" Maybe if they won this Leia could teach her how to make them. They looked good enough. And she wasn't picky when it came to food.

He froze, looking down at the container like it was an explosive. "Oh."

""Oh what?"

"They're called Chocolate Kisses," Ben repeated the name. He crawled over to the cave opening and yelled up to the sky. "Not funny!" 

"Shh! The Careers could be right outside," Rey reprimanded, but she was laughing. "Besides, we shouldn't let these cookies go to waste." She picked one up and broke it in half, handing one of the pieces to Ben. 

"You first," he said. "I want to see your reaction. These are like heaven on earth."

"Alright," she agreed, biting off a small piece of her half. Her eyes lit up and she grinned. "These are amazing!"

Now Ben was laughing too. "I told you!"

They both finished their halves of the Chocolate Kisses, before Ben turned to look at her seriously. "So, back to what we were discussing before."

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, you're right, I have no idea what I'm doing, and this is actually kind of freaking me out a bit. So yes, definitely," Rey agreed.

He looked almost surprised.

"Well, um, okay. So I guess this is a big first for both of us." They sat in an awkward silence, before Rey had an idea.

"Did anyone ever teach you?"

"No, I learned from my uncle's journals. But I guess you have no clue what the force is, so that really doesn't help. 

"What if you tried to explain to me what the force is?" Rey asked slowly. "Sort of... Told me how you see it."

"Alright. It's sort of an energy, it's all around us, and it makes up and connects everything. The air, the sky, the trees, the ground, those mockingjays you were singing to...even us. And, if you're sensitive to the force, you can harness it almost. Not control it, but let it help you, guide you. We're force-sensitive, so we could both learn how to do that."

"How do you reach out to the force? To let it guide you, like you said?"

"You..." She waited patiently as he thought. "I'm going to show you something my mother showed me. She said her brother showed it to her, since she was also a force-sensitive." Rey nodded, trying to sit up a little straighter. She could tell this was important, if it was the only thing he had left from his uncle. She was honored that he was choosing to share it with her.

"Close your eyes," Ben instructed. "Now breathe. Just breathe. And reach out."

Rey extended her hand, unsure of which one to use, or if she was even doing it right. Ben laughed a little, making her blush fiercely.

"Sorry, I should have specified. Sort of...reach out with your feelings."

Somehow, though his instructions made no sense, Rey was able to follow them.

"What do you see?" He whispered, his voice filled with awe. Images flooded her mind, one after another.

"Life," she whispered back as a small flower sprouted beside a stream. Impossibly, she could smell the fresh scent of the flower, like the scent of spring in the Meadow. The flower began to crumble, its petals fluttering to the ground to be blown away by wind. "Death." a new flower sprouted, fed by the nutrients from the old plant. "That feeds new life." The bright sun, shining through the shade of a tree. "Warmth." The icy fingers of the lake. "Cold." A mockingjay fed it's young. "Love." Two wolves fought to the death over a dead rabbit. "Hatred." The two of them, together in the cave. "Peace." Two tributes fighting, one finally landing the killing blow. "War."

"And between all of that?" Ben asked softly.

"Between all of that...an energy, like thread, weaving all of it together."

"A force?"

She nodded wordlessly.

"And inside you?"

"That same force."

"You are a force-sensitive then," he said. "I thought they were all gone. you proved the theory wrong."

"So there could be others then?" What if there were other people out there, people just like them, with an extraordinary gift? But something distracted her.

"Ben," she said uncertainly,not sure if what she was seeing was a good thing or not. "There's something else. A really bright light. But something else too. A...a sort of blackness. It's calling to me."

"The dark side of the force," he said uncertainly. "oh no."

"Oh no? Is this a bad thing?"

"Rey, fight it. You have to fight!"

"I can't-it's calling me. Drawing me in. I can't get out! Ben!?" She could hear him shouting something, but he sounded so distant, so far away that she couldn't make out his words. Then there was darkness.

******************************************

"Rey?"

She opened her eyes. "What just happened?" she asked sleepily. 

"Rey, you're awake!" Ben cried for the second time that week. Which was two times to many for Rey. 

"No, really?" she asked, schooling her expression into one of disbelief. "I didn't know that."

Ben rolled his eyes with a smile. "I just meant you're okay."

"But seriously, what happened?"

"You...you said something was calling to you. A blackness you said. That was the dark side of the force. It is described as the evil side of the force, the side that Sith get their powers from."

"So... So I'm evil," she dared to ask, hoping his answer wasn't yes. "I'm one of the bad apples then?"

"No, I don't mean that," he corrected himself, and with that simple sentence all her fears were obliterated. "The dark side of the force is in every one. along with the light. it just depends which one you use to harness the force. It's just...my mother told me I was the only one who had been drawn in the very first time they tried to reach out to the force."

"You were too?"

"Yes. She said that it wasn't normal, that it couldn't be right. But it was. Rey Andor, the day you become 'evil' is the day the world ends. You don't have anything to worry about, I promise."

She nodded solemnly.. "So then what happened?"

"I tried to help you fight it, but it wasn't working so... I had to resort to desperate measures. But everything's back to normal now. If hiding in a cave trying not to be killed by other teenagers is normal."

"Which I'm pretty sure it isn't," she said with a laugh, trying to push away the conversation. But she couldn't erase the one question from her mind: Was Ben right, or was she a Sith?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, how is it already Saturday!?!?!?! I apologize for posting this chapter late, Friday passed and I completely forgot to update!


	24. Love and Lessons

The anthem began to blare from unseen speakers all over the arena. Ben crawled to the entrance.

"Anyone tonight?" Rey called quietly, not wanting to alert nighttime predators. 

"Just the boy from 11," Ben reported as the song came to a close.

"That's not good," she muttered to herself, running through every Games she'd ever seen.

"Why?" 

"The audience in the Capitol will be getting bored. The first day, there was the bloodbath, lots of people died. Capitol citizens are happy. Right?"

"Right."

"Day two, one person dies, we don't actually know if anything else happened. Right?"

"Right."

"Today, one person died. That person could have been part of a group, there could have been a huge fight, but that's not likely. Right?"

"Right."

"So if not many people have been dying, then the audience in the Capitol will be getting bored. No big fights, we're not exactly doing anything interesting by sitting here in the cave, minor number of deaths. The audience in the Capitol has to be getting bored by the lack of events. And the Games absolutely cannot get boring. So any day now, the gamemakers will send in something to change it up a little. Something that could be good for us, or bad."

"That makes sense," he said, "but if you almost died, and the careers are out hunting right now, that should tide the audience over a little bit longer. At least until tommorow morning. Afternoon if we get lucky."

"Maybe," she said. It wasn't foolproof, but she was pretty tired. The events from earlier had taken a toll on her nerves, and every sound had her hands flying to her knife. They could afford to rest for a few hours, couldn't they? "Sure. Let's rest. But only for a little while."

"Deal” he agreed. They snuggled into the sleeping bag, Ben first, Rey squishing herself in beside him.

"This is made for only one person you know," Rey mumbled as she tried to fit. "We might be the youngest kids here, but this is seriously making me claustrophobic."

Ben laughed quietly and pulled her against him. "How about now?"

She couldn't hold back a smile. "Fits perfectly," she said leaning in closer.

The night air was freezing, but the sleeping bag was insulated, and it reflected their body heat. They huddled together in the small bag that was made for only one person. While it was cramped, Rey found herself feeling grateful for the company. As the night went on, the temperature dropped stunningly. Even winter nights in 12 weren't usually as bad. She inched closer to Ben, who had fallen asleep after only a few minutes. 

As hard as she tried, she just couldn't relax. Not when the Careers were out there, hunting for her and her...ally? 

That didn't sound right.  She and Ben had seemed to become very close over the past few days. 

Friends? It still didn't seem like how she would describe them. It was too simple, too general. _We're good friends_ , Rey decided.

The kind of bond of friendship that can only appear after you've been through something that tests the very deepest parts of it.  He had saved her from death by the side of the lake (and maybe the mystery couple from her dream had helped, if they truly were real). He had stayed with her even when she begged him to leave her behind so he could win.He had tried so hard to heal the possibly life-threatening wound that only held him back. He had taught her about the special power inside of her. 

But their friendship was more than just the serious parts. They had shared the chocolate cookie, and he had laughed at her reaction to the treat. She had suffered the embarrassment of reading Finn and Poe's letter. It was the little moments, the shared smiles and amazing stories, that brought them closer together.

That was when she realized it. 

She loved Ben Solo. 

A lot.

At first he had seemed annoying, acted like she was dirt. But at the parade? On the roof?  They had gradually become friends, and now Rey realized, something more.

Enemy. Friend. Teacher. Ally. Partner. Tribute. She ran through the list, trying to make sense of it. Of him. Nothing worked. The boy next to her remained a mystery. 

Did he truly love her, or was he just saying it for the audience? Did he only save her because he made a deal with Han, similar to hers? She felt the tendrils of uncertainty creep in, fill the silence of the night. But he had kissed her. He had been half asleep, and he had kissed her. He couldn't have been acting then... 

She started to pull away, knowing from experience that getting close to someone who was in a position to betray you was never good. But Ben muttered something and pulled her closer, and she was able to push away her doubts for the time being, and fall asleep.

_ Rey and Ben stood side by side, backed up against the Cornucopia. They each held a burning sword of light, Rey’s a beam of sky blue, and Ben’s a flickering fiery red. Shadowy enemies advanced slowly, almost daring the duo to make the first move.  _

_ Suddenly the shadows whirled into action, attacking with various weapons. A shadow with a green blade almost similar to Rey’s targeted her first.  _

_ Rey ducked, weaved, parried, and thrusted, trying to overcome her attacker, who seemed to know every move she would make before she even made them. Finally, while the shadow’s defenses were weaker, she managed to stab her blade into its stomach. The shadow looked up, and Rey could finally see its face.  _

_ She staggered backward with a surprised cry as her adversary turned out to be none other than herself.  _

“Rey?” 

“Ugh...” This whole ‘Ben waking her up and sounding really nervous’ thing was getting annoying. “Yeah, I’m up.” She opened her eyes to find him sitting beside her, shivering a little. “What happened this time?”

“You were thrashing around. When you screamed, I woke you up. So no one heard. Since they would come hunt us down.”

“Sorry,” she apologized quickly. 

“You can’t control what you dream.”

“I wish I could,” she complained.

“Was it about your family?” 

“No, it was about the Games.”

“What about them?” The worry in his voice had given away to fear.

“The two of us. At the Cornucopia. What does it matter anyway? It’s just a dream. It’s over now.” She tried to push it off like she always did. It was easier to forget than to puzzle out the mystical dreamworld.

“My grandfather, Anakin. He had dreams about...a loved one. In pain. Eventually, they came true.”

“Couldn’t he have stopped them?” A tiny spark of panic ignited inside her. What was this dream trying to tell her? Would something happen to the two of them?

“He tried. It only caused them to become true. Rey, I need you to explain this dream. I just want to be cautious.”

“We were at the Cornucopia, cornered by shadows. They attacked, and we had to defend ourselves. But when I finally defeated the shadow I fought...” She trailed off, afraid he would confirm her worst fears. “It was me. Ben, what if it is a sign? What if it means I’m one of them? The Sith? Those shadows fought with hatred and evil. What if it means I will too? Anakin fell to the dark side, didn’t he?”

“He did,” Ben confirmed darkly. “But seeing his son and daughter in the arena, realizing they were his own children...it destroyed him. He realized that the dark side was the home to misery and fear just plain evil like you said. He died trying to stop the gamemakers. But you won’t go that way. I promise.”

“How do you know?” She was starting to feel a bit desperate. Ben kept reassuring her that it would be fine. But his stories proved differently.

“I’ve felt it too. The pull to the darkness. It’s nearly won many times. But you learn how to fight it. Those dreams don’t mean you’re a Sith. It means you have the potential to become one, yes. But so does every other Jedi. Every single force-sensitive. Don’t ask Leia though, she believes the pull to darkness is a sign showing you that you are a Sith.”

“Is it?”

“Well I believe differently. Think about the stars in the sky. They need the darkness of the night to shine as brightly as they do. Otherwise you’d never see them. There can be no light without darkness to oppose it. And on the other end, there can be no darkness without light. If both sides of the force call to you, it means there is a balance. Light and dark. Equally strong and weak. No one is absolutely perfect, and no one can go around messing every single thing up. Can you see it?”

She nodded wordlessly. His passionate speech had woken something inside of her. A new concept. Balance. Both sides, caught in a child’s game of tug-of-war. Neither able to win or lose. “You’re right.”

“Tell that to my mom,” he said with a laugh.

“You tell her yourself. When we get out of here.”

“I have. She kind of dismissed it as stupid.”

“But it makes sense!” 

“Leia believes very strongly that the light side of the force must always be the dominant side. She thinks there should be no dark siders. Some people are like this, and they think there is only one path that should be taken. There should be only Jedi or only Sith.”  


”But what you said- there can be no Jedi without Sith, and no Sith without Jedi.”

“People see the force in many different ways from many different perspectives. It depends on what you are taught and how you view the world.”

“I guess that makes sense,” she agreed.

“Finally. This is the first time I’ve taught you something and you haven’t passed out.”

“Hey, if I remember correctly, that was  _ your  _ fault?”

“It might have been...” he pretended to think. “Let’s just start from scratch. This, the different views of the force, is lesson one.”


	25. Picnic

“Am I allowed to be hungry?” Ben asked teasingly. “Because so far you’ve eaten nothing. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m hungry too. But we really should try to ration most the food...” Her protest was halfhearted. 

“What if we split one of the fish and another cookie?”

She thought about it. They had five fish, a small bag of crackers, less than half a bottle of water, and a little container of cookies. She could easily spear more of the little fish if she could get outside. “That makes sense. But we need more water too. And the fish have to be cooked. It’s too dangerous to start a fire.”

“Wait, maybe...” 

“What?” 

“It probably wouldn’t work, but have you noticed how the it’s really hot during the day, and cold at night? The gamemakers keep changing the temperature.”

“Yeah?”

“If it’s warm enough, maybe we could find a way to use the sun to cook the fish?”

She thought about it for a while. “It could work. If we use the cookie tin to reflect the sunlight, then maybe...if we left it out long enough...”

“It could work?”

“Maybe. Better than eating raw fish anyway.”

“Alright. I can go set it up, and-“

“No,” Rey interrupted. “I’m coming with you.”

“Rey we’ve been over this...”

“We really haven’t. I might be injured, but I can still fight. We can go together.”

“Fine,” he agreed. 

“Come on, smile for once in your life,” she teased. “It’ll be fun. Make a picnic out of it. Go down to the river for the day, set out the sleeping bag like a blanket, catch fish.”

“It sounds fun, but what if Phasma hears? What if she comes and attacks?”

“Ben, it’s going to be over 100 degrees. Who would be hiking through the forest when it’s so hot out?”

“Someone who needs a place to cool off. Like the water.”

“So they’ll be weaker. They’ve hiked all day through the heat. We can fight or escape easily. It will be fine.”

“Alright. But we’re bringing weapons.”

“Deal,” she agreed, happy to finally be able to be outside again. It hadn’t been long since her last trip to the river, but to her it seemed like centuries. 

“So, what else do we need?”

“Probably the crackers- just in case the fish doesn’t work,” she said. 

“And the tin,” Ben added.

“The sleeping bag?”

“Yeah, and the water bottles too.”?

“Maybe the first aid kit, just in case.”

They quickly divided the supplies into the two packs from the Cornucopia. After Ben’s suggestion, Rey changed back into her now-dry clothes, and they were finally ready. 

“Okay, I think that’s everything,” Ben decided.

“Definitely,” she agreed. They slowly made their way through the silent forest. The only thing they could hear was their own breathing, and the occasional splash when someone stepped in a puddle of melted snow. 

Rey enjoyed the peaceful silence of the melting woods with no one in sight to disturb it. The sights, sounds, and smells brought her back to the familiar woods of District 12, the time she had spent with her father, and eventually Finn. 

Finn. She wondered what he was doing. And Poe too, though he would most likely be in the mines working. Or maybe he would be at home, watching the Games. Would Finn be watching with him? Would Shara be able to watch? In the years since the mine explosion, Finn and Poe had become her older brothers, and Shara was a second mother to her. Rey would’ve given almost anything to see them again. 

“You okay?” Ben asked, noticing her far-off expression. 

“Yeah. Don’t you just miss your family sometimes?”

“Why would I? She’s right here,” he said teasingly.

“But don’t you?”

He sighed. “Definitely. It may be the poorest district in Panem, but 12 was always...I don’t know, the most approachable, I guess. Everywhere else is all strict rules and more peacekeepers than citizens.”

“Home,” she whispered, not totally sure if she was talking to Ben or not.

“I guess, yeah. Is your leg okay?”

“I’m fine.” She had managed to find a way to walk without leaning too heavily on her injured leg. “How much farther?”

“Probably less than ten minutes.” He was right. In around eight, they’d found the riverbank Rey had caught the fish in. She set out the sleeping bag while Ben pulled out their weapons and the improvised solar oven. While the fish cooked, they sat by the river, enjoying the cool, misty spray. 

“There’s fish everywhere,” Rey said, pointing to more silvery minnows. “They’re easy to catch.”

“Lucky us,” he murmured, not really paying attention to the water so much as her. She rolled her eyes before pulling off her boots and soaking her feet in the water. 

“Oh...” Rey sighed happily. One of her favorite things to do in the summer was wade in the secret lake she and her father had found. It was always filled with cool, fresh water, and the perfect way to relax for a little while. She carefully waded deeper into the water on her hands and knees, ignoring the water drenching her clothes. 

“Rey, don’t,” Ben reprimanded. “You’re getting all wet.”

She stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. “Make me!”

She rolled his eyes and started towards her, but she crawled between his legs and shook off the drops of water in her hair. 

“Hey! Now you’re getting me wet!”

“That’s the point,” she replied, grabbing his hand and tugging him down. He tried to pull himself free, but ended up beside her in the water. Rey couldn’t help laughing as he tried to scowl at her. 

“Apologize,” he demanded, sounding like he was trying hard not to laugh.

“Fine, I’m sorry,” she said, hugging him. Ben pushed her away when he realized she was only trying to splash more water at him. She fell backwards laughing. 

“Ugh, we’re  _soaked_ ,  Rey.”

“I know!” She laughed. ”That’s the whole point!” She pushed a wave towards him, and he finally smiled.

“Alright, but remember: you asked for it.”

They played in the water for a while, laughing and splashing for at least an hour or two. Finally, Ben climbed out of the riverbed to check on the fish. 

“It looks like it’s working,” he said. She scrambled after him, eager to see if their plan was working. He was right, the fish were starting to cook.

“Did you just use that as an excuse to get out of the water?” She teased.

“Maybe...”

Rey stuck out her lip in a fake pout before shaking herself out like a dog, spraying droplets of water everywhere.

“Hey! Stop it! I just got dry!” He yelled at her, only half-angry. 

She pretended to ignore him, tying her hair back into it’s typical triple-bun style and wringing out her clothes. 

“Fine. At least dry off on the blanket?”

“Sure,” she agreed, crawling over. 

They lay beside each other on the blanket for a while, watching the clouds.

“Do you think it’s real?” She asked suddenly.

“What’s real?” 

“The sky. The clouds. All of it.”

“Probably not. They want us trapped in here, right? There has to be some sort of force field. Most likely a dome.”

“So we’re trapped in a fake world?” The idea was an odd combination of frightening and interesting.

He sighed. “Weren’t we always?”

“True,” she agreed. 

After that, they sat in comfortable silence,, broken every once and a while when one of them pointed out a cloud.

“That one looks like a bird,” Rey said. “See, the wings, the beak?” She whistled to it the way her father had, speaking the secret language of the birds.

“That one looks like a tree.”

“Which one?”

“Right there,” he said, pointing upwards. “If you squint at it, you can sort of see it.”

“Wait, so that part’s the trunk, right?” She asked, pointing to the bottom. 

“Yeah, and there’s the branches.”

“Oh, I see it now. That’s definitely a tree.”

“ _ That’s _ a tree,” a voice came. “And  _ I _ am your killer.”


	26. Ally

They both whipped around, but there was no one there. 

“Remember me,” the voice said, this time in front of them. “Remember my voice.”

Rey and Ben grabbed their weapons and stood back-to-back, scanning the forest. 

“Who are you?” Rey asked, glaring at the trees. 

“I can’t tell you,” the voice replied with a laugh. “At least not yet. But you should know: I don’t want to kill you.”

“Yeah?” Ben asked, looking like he was ready to charge at the voice though neither of them could pinpoint where it was coming from. “Cause the warning at the beginning said differently!”

“Oh that? I was just trying to get your attention. Promise. I just want you to know that you can trust me.”

“How can we be sure?” Rey asked. She knew that voice... It wasn’t Phasma. The voice was definitely a boy’s. How many boys were left in the arena?

“I haven’t killed you, have I?”

“Yet,” she and Ben said together.

“I left all my weapons in a tree about twenty yards away. I just want you to trust me. I don’t want to make it home. So you two should win.”

“What?” Rey was confused. Who wouldn’t want to make it home?

“You’ll see me again soon. I’ll explain then. But for now, Phasma and the Careers are hunting a group of kids right now. The audience should be satisfied today. Good luck!”

They sat in stunned silence. The only noise was a soft rustling in the trees, but it faded away as their strange ally disappeared back into the forest.

“Who do you think it is?” Ben asked finally. She shrugged in reply. 

“Who wouldn’t want to make it home though?” she wondered. “Why would you want to die here?” 

“Maybe we can ask him. He said we’d see him again, right?”

“True...” she still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Who was their mysterious helper? Why didn’t he want to go home? Why did he choose them to be the winners?

“I think we can trust him. We’ll just have to wait and see, right?”

“I guess.”

They waited in silence for a while. Finally Ben spoke. 

“Rey?”

“Still here,” she said, half-smiling.

“You never told me about your father.”

“Hmm?”

“You told me about your mother’s side of the family. But nothing about your father.”

“Cassian,” she corrected.

“Cassian.”

“I...I never really heard much about Cassian’s parents. Always Jyn’s. I don’t even think my mother knew. I asked her once while he was away,, working late at the mines one night. ‘Mama, what about Papa’s parents?’ I said. There was this... _dark_ look in her eyes, and she almost...closed off, sort of? I tapped her, thinking she hadn’t heard, and repeated the question. She turned to me and said ‘that isn’t something you should know.’ And she seemed scared of something. Terrified.”

“Did you ever ask her again? Or Cassian?”

“No. Her expression scared me half to death that day. I never wanted to see it again. Still don’t.” 

“Maybe if we get out of here...”

“ _ When _ we get out of here,” Rey corrected softly, resting her hand on top of his.

“When we get out of here,” he agreed. “Maybe I could help you find out about Cassian. I don’t remember ever knowing another Andor. Just your family.”

“Odd,” she said with a shrug. “But you probably never knew the last name Erso either. My family has mostly been hidden throughout the years.”

“Lucky.” He actually did sound a bit jealous. “There isn’t a person in Panem who doesn’t know about my family.”

“True. What about yours? Where’s Han from?”

“Do you miss them?” Ben asked suddenly. Rey was honestly starting to get used to the abrupt topic changes whenever the conversation moved too close to his family. 

“Every day,” she admitted. ”but not as much. It always hurts, but it isn’t as bad as right after they died. I miss them a lot...but it also feels like I never got a chance to know them. The worst part is forgetting. The explosion was seven years ago. That’s seven years of living with Poe and Shara. I have more memories with them than I do with my own parents. I try to hold on to the memories of my parents. But it’s hard to remember every detail. Sometimes I’ll be in the woods with Finn, and come across a plant. I know Cassian taught me about it. But I can’t remember him teaching me. And that’s what scares me. That one day I could wake up and forget them. I’ll remember their names, the fact that I’m their daughter. But not my mother’s smile, my father’s laugh.” She blinked back the tears that often followed a memory of her parents.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized quietly. ”I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve never gotten to tell anyone. Besides, Cassian taught me something very important once.”

“What was it?” He leaned closer, and Rey smiled. 

“Not telling.” 

“Come on, you can trust me.” His attempt at puppy-dog eyes made her laugh and nudge his shoulder. 

“I was joking,” she promised.

“Good. I can be very persuasive when I need to be.” They both laughed. 

“One summer, we were all sitting outside. I was running around catching fireflies, and he was watching. Jyn was inside, in the kitchen. She came out with mint tea for everyone. We drank it most nights, before we went to sleep. She called it Night Tea, and it was one of the things she remembered her mother teaching her. Cassian called me over, and I crawled in between him and Jyn. We all sat together and watched the stars, while they told the story about my grandparents, and how Lyra died to save Jyn, and how Cassian rescued Jyn. Then Cassian pulled me into his lap, and told a different story. He pointed up at the stars and asked me what I thought they were made of.”

“What did you say?”

Rey smiled. “I told him I thought that they were crystals of light, frozen in the sky. He considered it for a while, before telling me what he’d been told. 'When I was young,' he said, 'I learned that every star is the soul of a being.’ I was so confused. I told him I thought that a soul was inside of you. He said ‘While you’re living, your soul  _ is  _ inside you. But when you die, your soul becomes a star. Somewhere up in the sky, Galen and Lyra are watching. When you die, you’ll join them. And you’ll watch over your children, and their children, and the children of your friends. So will your mother and I. So even when you feel alone, remember that there’s always someone watching over you.’ They’re out there somewhere. They’re still here, even if it’s not physically.”

Ben looked up to the sky. “Can the stars- the souls -interfere with things down here?”

She thought for a while. “I guess they could. Maybe that’s why every once and a while, you see a star that’s falling from the sky. Maybe the star is coming here to help someone. But it must only happen in very special cases.”

“I wonder if Anakin and Padmé are in the sky watching us.”

“They are.”

He seemed happy with this answer. They watched the clouds for a few more hours, until Ben finally pulled away. 

“The fish is done,” he said quietly. She crawled across the blanket. The solar oven had worked. They enjoyed a quiet meal together. Rey closed her eyes, listening to the peaceful sound of the river water, enjoying the cool breeze that played with the loose ends of her hair. 

“You know,” she said teasingly. “If we weren’t trapped in a giant arena full of fatal traps and creepy teenagers who are trying to kill us, this would actually be really nice.”

“I don’t know, the fact that we could be murdered at any second definitely adds something extra.”

She tried to keep a straight face. “You’re right. It does make this pretty unique.”

“Yeah, peaceful lake picnics are overrated. They’re way better when you add the bloodthirsty kids.”

Rey cracked up first, but their laughter mixed together in perfect harmony.

*******************************************************************

After another few hours of splashing in the river, cleaning some of the blood off of their bodies and clothes, and refilling water bottles, Rey and Ben sat together on the blanket. The sun had started to fall from the sky, slowly but surely. The evening was cold, but Rey felt like a shield of warmth had been wrapped around her. She lay with her head on Ben’s leg, and he stroked her hair gently, watching the sky fill with streaks of color. 

“Could you paint that?” She asked softly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful evening.

“Maybe,” he whispered back. “But nature is by far the best artist.”

“I don’t know, from what I’ve seen you’re really good. Remember when you painted your hand to look like a tree? I couldn’t do that if my life depended on it.”

“Then let’s hope it doesn’t.”

Rey closed her eyes. The low humming of the insects, the splash of the tumbling water, Ben’s heartbeat, her own. All the noises blurred into one melody. She could even hear the echoes of a bird’s nighttime call.  _ Close your eyes, Rey,  _ they all sang.  _ Close your eyes. You’re safe here.  _ She slowly let go, drifting away from her body and into the realm of dreams. She woke as Ben tried to pick her up and carry her back home. (She had already begun to think of their little cave as home, she noticed sleepily). The sun was nearly gone, and she could see the first brave stars daring to peek out, almost as if they were making sure the coast was clear for the others. 

“Time to go home,” he whispered in her ear as the sun set behind them. Soon the Careers would be out hunting, and every sound would be questioned.  A little part of her wanted to stay here longer, watching the stars from the safety of their blanket. But their break from the Games was over.  Now it was time to face reality. 

At least they would face it together.


	27. Home

They walked back through the forest carefully. Rey had already learned that a misstep could be life-threatening. And the dark made it hard to see too far ahead. They could easily get lost in the woods with little food and protection. Night also meant the temperature was colder than normal. The first few days in the arena had been freezing. It had started to warm up today, but evening still brought back the ice-cold bite in the air. 

“Almost there,” Ben whispered finally. Rey nodded her reply, already looking forward to their warm sleeping bag. She felt a little guilty though. She was used to trekking through forests at night, her feet finding safe spaces to walk without second-guessing herself. Ben had never been outside the fence. He wasn’t used to the uneven terrain. Yet another difference... Thinking about 12 brought up another thing to think about. “What do you think will happen when we get home?” She asked.

“What do you mean?” He stopped and looked back at her.

“What are we going to do? I mean, we’re out here in the woods. Alone. What are we going to be when we get home, though? Friends? Allies? Enemies, like we were when we met?”

They stood in silence in front of the entrance to their little cave. Rey was starting to regret asking her question out loud. 

“I think...that we can add that to the rapidly growing list of things we’ll have to figure out when we get there. We’ll have to see what happens...how we feel.”

“Yeah...” She could see the question in his eyes.  _ What do you want us to be?  _ He asked.  _ I don’t know,  _ she tried to say, but the words wouldn’t come.  _ I’m sorry.  _

The sound of the cannon startled them out of their silence. 

“We should get inside,” she said quickly. “It looks like it’s going to storm soon.” She gestured desperately to the sky, pleading him to meet her eyes. He nodded silently and disappeared inside.  _ Nice job, Rey,  _ she scolded herself.  _Just perfect. Now he won’t even talk to you._ The day had been peaceful, fun even. But of course she’d had to ruin it. Taking a deep breath, she crawled inside. Ben was unpacking the bag and returning the food, weapons, and supplies to their respective piles.  


”Look, I’m sorry,” she tried. “I shouldn’t have asked, it was stupid. Today was a good day, let’s not end it on a bad note.” No reaction. “Please.”

He looked over. “Let’s just not think about home right now.”

“And by home, you mean Han and Leia, right?” She asked softly. 

He kept unpacking, though she could tell that she’d struck home.

“We’re not discussing this Rey.”

“Yes we are. Right now. I’ve told you my entire family history, and the most I know about yours is their names.”

“I just said,  _ we are not discussing this! _ ” Rey fell back- or was she pushed? She could have sworn a gust of air had shoved her backwards. She felt Ben’s anger through the force, and shuddered. The hatred was a living breathing thing, lashing out at her and dragging anything it could grasp down with it. Ben seemed to realize what he’d done and shot her a look that was almost...frightened.

“Sorry, I must be really tired,” she lied quickly. “fell over. I’m going to get some rest.” She faked a yawn, knowing that cameras would be watching them. 

“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” he agreed. After some adjusting, they were comfortably settled in the sleeping bag. Rey closed her eyes, waiting for him to talk. This would be the one time the Capitol wouldn’t have cameras trained on them- who would want to watch kids sleeping when there were _exciting_ fights?

Five minutes passed before he decided it was safe to explain. 

“No one’s supposed to know that...” he trailed off, unsure.

“Know what?”

“...When I pushed you back? I used the dark side to do it. Leia always told me that it was a sign of something terrible, and to tell no one that I can harness it. Since I’m related to Luke and Leia Skywalker, I should be a light sider. She’s afraid of the dark side- with reason of course, since it took both her father and her brother. She has to live with that knowledge. But...she thinks I’m dangerous. She automatically thinks all dark siders are pure evil. That they all defect from the Jedi or turn to the darkness because of anger and hate.”

“That...that can’t be true though. You’re the nicest person I’ve met since we arrived in the Capitol.”

“It isn’t always true. The Jedi harness their powers by suppressing strong emotions. The Sith channel their emotions and use them to harness their powers. Anger is one of those emotions- a normal, human emotion. But so is love, the reason Anakin turned to the dark side, remember?”  
”True.”

“Unfortunately, many of the most powerful Sith used hate to fuel their power, so people assume that all Sith are pure evil.”

“When many are just...more emotional than the Jedi allow,” Rey finished.

“Yeah.”

“Is that why you never want to talk about Han and Leia?”

“I’m the son of two victors,and I’m related to three tributes. My parents also happen to be the only two victors in 12’s history. My grandfather helped to create the Hunger Games, and I have a special power that no other recorded person in the districts has. My grandfather died taking down Palpatine, Panem’s ruler and probably the most evil Sith in history. My mother is a political hero, and the Capitol’s ‘Princess Leia’. My father is a famous smuggler. People always expect so much of me because of my family. And the second that I show a hint of being able to use the dark side, my parents treat me like some sort of monster. The worst part? They’re right.”

“Ben, you are not a monster,” she protested fiercely.

“I’m not?” His lips were less than an inch away from her ear as he hissed, “didn’t I just attack you a minute ago? It’s getting worse, I can feel it. My mother can feel it too. Maybe I pushed you this time, but Rey, what if one day it gets to a point where it’s serious? What if I kill you?” She could hear the pain in his voice. After seeing his parents treat him like a monster for so long, he was actually starting to believe it.

“It won’t get to that point,” she swore. “I won’t let it. I can protect myself. We can learn about the dark side, learn to understand it, not fear it.”

“Pure hypocrisy. Weren’t you the one who told me not to make promises I couldn’t keep?”

“And weren’t you the one who replied that you didn’t?”

“Rey, that was different. This is some big, crazy, mystical energy force. Not a matter of bandages and medicine.”

“Then we’ll figure it out. Together. Your parents can say what they want.”

“They’re right though.”

“Shut up, would you? I’m trying to sleep!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I’m sorry! I keep updating so late! I was busy with Love Will Find A Way, and ANS (A Nobody and a Somebody) was at the bottom of my writing list!


	28. Poisoning

Rey woke early in the morning .  Another nightmare.  _ Well, at least I didn’t wake anyone up this time...  _ Ben was still asleep. As usual. She sighed. 

“Well, I’m just going to go outside for a while, okay?” She whispered to him. “I’ll be back soon, so don’t come after me like you did last time. Gave me a kriffing heart attack...”

She crawled out into the open, and a freezing blast of air hit her in the face. No wonder the lake had been covered in a layer of ice.  _Well, this is probably the only chance I’ll get at being outdoors for a while. Better make the most of it._ She crawled back inside to grab her weapons. Ben was still sound asleep. Rey smiled a little. “Love you,” she whispered before leaving.

The forest was cool and damp, and the sun had just started to come up. It soaked everything in a warm, comforting half-light. She passed under a tree and a mockingjay took flight with a soft meoldy. Dewdrops rained down on her head but she didn’t care. It felt so good to be out in the woods again. Like a piece of home that had followed her into the arena. It was perfect. 

After an hour, she’d managed to gather enough berries and greens to fill her entire pouch. Suddenly, the booming cannon echoed throughout the arena.  _ No... _

She turned, practically sprinting through the forest. Or at least attempting to. Rey crashed through the woods, not caring if she was alerting just about every tribute in the arena to her location. But if tributes had attacked their cave while she was away...she’d never forgive herself. Her leg felt like it was on fire, and it seemed like she was running into every single tree she came across. Thankfully, she still had the berries and her knife. When she finally reached the cave, she froze. What if the Careers had come? What if her only friend in the arena was gone? What if... She crawled inside, expecting the worst. 

Ben was still asleep. Nothing had changed. She nearly burst out laughing. The fear and adrenaline faded away replaced with relief. A second cannon blast sounded, startling both of them. 

“Rey? You look terrible,” Ben said, his voice half teasing and half worried.

“I’m fine. I was out getting food and the cannon went off. I tried to run back home, which didn’t exactly work out.”

“I can see,” he said, pulling a leaf out of her hair. ”Did you leave any of the forest outside?’

“The trees?’ She suggested.

He pulled a twig off her shoulder. “Unlikely. How did this even get stuck to you?”  
She shrugged “Another very good question.”

“Does your aunt have to deal with this too?”  
”Well most of the time I’m not injured and scared half to death thinking my ally just died.”  
”Good point. Time for breakfast?”

“Yeah,” she said, pulling off more of the forest and returning it outside. They sorted through the greens, each taking a handful of berries and saving the rest for later.   
“You’re sure these aren’t going to kill us?” Ben asked cautiously.

“Of course. I eat these in 12. Plus, I triple-checked.”

“Alright.” They ate in silence, both still wary after the two cannons. Whose faces would be displayed across the arena that night, Rey wondered. It was only late morning, so they still had hours to wait before they found out. 

“You’re bleeding again,” Ben pointed out, breaking the silence. She looked down to find a dark stain spreading across her calf. Her pants were soaked with blood. 

“Probably has to do with the fact that I crashed into about a million trees and tripped over every fallen branch on the way back here,” she said, trying to make a joke. 

“Maybe.” He ignored the attempt at humor and started to peel the fabric back. Rey watched his expression carefully.

“Do you have your knife?” He asked.

“Yeah...” she said slowly, handing over the blade. She had no clue what he was about to do, but if it needed a sharp knife it couldn’t be good. She held her breath, waiting for his explanation. 

He cut a small slit at the bottom of her pant leg, peeling it back farther. 

“That’s what I thought,” he whispered, more to himself.

“What’s what you thought?” 

He ignored her, focusing on moving what was left of the bandages off to the side and digging through the first aid kit for more. 

“Ben?”

Finally, he met her gaze. “Blood poisoning,” he said simply. “People...miners...Rey I don’t know how many times I’ve seen families come to our house with an injured family member. An accident in the mines, an injury gone unchecked...they know Leia grows herbs in her garden, and they beg us for something to help, but...”

“Shara said that her medicines were no match for blood poisoning,” Rey said quietly. “That only Capitol drugs could help, and she hasn’t seen any in 12 since she was a child.”

“Well, our first aid kit won’t do anything. And I don’t even know if we have any sponsors right now- but even if we did, it would take a lot to buy the medicine you need... I think the only thing you can do right now is just keep holding on. Hopefully the Games end soon, and...if we win, the Capitol will be able to help you.”

“When we win.” Rey corrected. A long silence followed as they both waited for the other to speak. 

“I...” she started finally, unsure of what to say. “I mean today I was fine. I went outside this morning, found breakfast, right? And while I couldn’t walk, I was able to run back here. On an adrenaline rush, yes, but what I’m saying is, this isn’t over yet. So stop acting like it.”

“Are you sure that’s really the best thing to be saying? You know, seeing as you’re dying,” he added, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
”Look, I can handle myself,” she said, feeling her temper rise. “I’ve made it on my own my entire life. I’m sure if you don’t want a  _ weak  _ ally then I can survive on my own now, too. And you won’t have to be worried about anything anymore. Win-win, huh?”

“Rey, you know I didn’t mean it like that-“

“Oh  sure . I know I’m probably going to die, alright? I  understand . I know how these Games work. Even a sprained wrist could kill you. But you don’t have to bring it up every five minutes.” She didn’t even know where her anger was coming from, but it was becoming more powerful with every second.

“Rey. Just calm down okay,” he warned, looking around as if someone was watching them.  _ Cameras _ , he mouthed silently.

She understood immediately. It was like their earlier argument about his parents. If Han and Leia- or anyone really -realized that she had harnessed the dark side as her anger grew- even if it was accidental -they could be in big trouble. 

“Sorry,” she muttered. 

“It’s fine. I think we both need to be a little more careful.”

“Yeah.” _ Careful of how close we come to the dark side... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, apologies for the late chapter, but I do have some news on the amount of chapters. It’s not official, but this will probably end up being around 40 chapters? Maybe 45? Somewhere around there at least.


	29. History

The rest of the day passed in painful, awkward silence. They both tried to avoid angering the other and stay out of each other’s ways.  Which, in a tiny cave, was virtually impossible. 

Rey spoke exactly three times, twice to ask for water, and once to comment on the unusually nice weather. He ignored her attempt at small talk, but handed over a water bottle the other two times. 

Ben stayed impressively silent all day, avoiding her in every way possible. After a few hours, her anger fizzled away to be replaced with loneliness. The day crawled by at a snail’s pace. They silently took turns keeping watch for Careers, and the most eventful part of the day was when a mockingjay landed just outside the entrance and hopped around in the dirt for a minute before taking off. 

She wished she could follow it into the sky, fly high above all the fighting and hate, be truly free. A place humanity couldn’t taint with its violence. Finally, the sun started to set. They ate another fish in silence- only one left now. But with the greens she’d found that morning, they shouldn’t be in too much trouble.  _ Too much being the key words... _

“They’ll be playing the anthem soon,” she said quietly.  _ Please respond. _

“Yeah. How many cannons were there this morning? I missed them.”

“Just two.”

“So that leaves...”

“ Nine of us.”She shuddered. How had the numbers dropped so quickly? From 24 to 9 in only a few days. As if on cue, the anthem started up.

“The girl from 3 and the boy from 4. Two Careers?”

“They must have broke up. After a while, as the pool of tributes gets smaller, the Careers break up. Usually a few Careers die then.”

“So they’re not working together but they’re still out hunting for us?”

“It’s a possibility. Now that they’ve broken into smaller groups, or even just gone solo, it’s harder. They don’t have people to watch for enemies while they sleep during the day. And at night, no on to watch their backs. We probably don’t have to worry about nighttime hunters anymore.”

“Lucky us.”

“I wouldn’t call it lucky yet. Just...slightly less unlucky.” She was rewarded by a small smile. “So we’re done fighting over literally nothing?”

“Definitely,” Ben agreed.

“I’m glad.”

“Yeah, same. And...if you want, I think we could do another lesson again tomorrow?”

“Sure, why not?

*****************************************************************************************

“Okay. So due to your extremely odd tendency to pass out every time I try to teach you something, I’m going to try something different today.”

“I can’t wait,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“How about a history lesson?”

“History?” Not what she’d expected.

“History. History of Panem, the Jedi, the Sith, the Games. All of it. Listen closely, because I’m only going to say all of this one time- there’s a lot.”

“Yes Master.”

“And you don’t know anything about he Jedi or Sith?”

“Just what you told me.”

“Okay. So I’ll start with the beginning of the Games. Not many people know about this. Or any of Panem’s history. You already know that the 13 Districts rebelled against the Capitol. The Capitol won, of course. What you don’t know, is that nearly all of the rebellion was made of rogue Jedi. The Capitol was originally protected by the Jedi Order. But over time, as unrest in the districts grew. Some of the Jedi realized that the Order was corrupt- and the Sith were taking over it. The rebellion was weak, and armed with Death Star`the Sith won. Palpatine ruled Panem. Vader worked to create a new Games each year, making them more ‘interesting’. Over time, the Jedi and the Sith faded away. Few people still remember them. Then Luke and Leia came along. Jedi were...banned from love. They weren’t allowed to become attached to others. Camaraderie was allowed, but feelings like love were forbidden. Anakin, a Jedi, defied the rules to love a Senator. Padmé Amidala. They wed secretly, and...eventually realized they were going to have children.”

“But...didn’t people notice?”

”They managed to hide it for a long time. It might have just been luck, but it was mot likely because of all the unrest in the districts. The Jedi were busy trying to keep their public image, and didn’t have time for simple things like that. But eventually, Anakin began to have visions of Padmé dying. He’d experienced this before, when he had dreams of his mother’s death. He finally managed to return to her district, but by then it was too late.”

”What happened?”

“She died in his arms. When he began to have dreams about losing Padmé, he couldn’t let her die too. But he couldn’t ask the Jedi- they would find out.”

”Did he ever ask them anyway?”

“Yes. They told him to let go of what he feared to lose. But he couldn’t do that- he couldn’t let go of his family. So he went to the one other person he could. Palpatine, who was secretly planning the downfall of the Jedi though he seemed like a typical Senate member. He...was kind to Anakin. Understood him. Helped him. Anakin grew to trust Palpatine. But...one day Palpatine revealed that he was the Sith Lord. Anakin knew he should turn him in...but Sith Lord or not, he was someone Anakin could trust.  _ And _ , more importantly from Anakin’s point of view, someone with the power to save Padmé. Long story short, Anakin turned to the dark side in an attempt to save Padmé. In a final battle, the Sith basically watched as the Jedi on both sides- the Capitol and the districts -killed each other off. Meanwhile, Padmé came to find Anakin, and his Master Obi-Wan secretly followed her. Anakin thought Padmé had betrayed him and...” Ben trailed off.

“What happened?” Rey asked, though she wasn’t sure she even wanted to know.

“He used the force. And he...”

She waited patiently, sensing that this was a bad memory for him.

“And he choked her with the force. It nearly killed her.”

Her eyes widened, and she stared at him as if time would change the story into something happier.

“Anakin and Obi-Wan fought, Obi-Wan won and left the man who was practically his brother behind to burn. Literally.”

“Oh.”

“Long story short: the Jedi were nearly all gone, the Capitol ruled, Luke and Leia were born, Obi-Wan hid them with separate families so Anakin couldn’t find them, then settled down nearby to watch over them. Something or other years later, Luke and Leia were both reaped. In the few minutes that Luke had to say goodbye to his family, Obi-Wan Kenobi came. He told Luke the truth. About all of it.”

“And Leia?”

“She didn’t know until the arena. He told her when they teamed up. He didn’t reveal their relation until he died. Anakin- who was going by Vader -realized that Luke and Leia were his kids. He tried to rebel, and managed to kill Palpatine...but died minutes later. In a normal story, peace would have been restored.”

”But we’re still stuck in this mess.”

”Basically. The Capitol just found a new leader- Snoke. The Games kept going. The districts stayed poor. The Capitol citizens stayed rich. Life stayed unfair.”

“Typical”

“Which brings us to today. Us. In the arena. If we win...”

“When we win,” she corrected halfheartedly.

“When we win. I think we could explore the force. The light side...”

“And the dark,” Rey finished softly. “We wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore. And maybe we could find others. Force-sensitives in the districts.” Her voice grew more excited with each word. “Maybe we could start-“ A look from Ben cut her off. “Maybe we could finish what our ancestors started.”

“I...doubt there’s enough left,” he said carefully. “But there’s still a chance to right a wrong from a long time ago.”


	30. Tracker Jackers

They both froze as they heard a rustling noise just outside.

“Wind?” She mouthed silently. They crawled over to the entrance. “There’s a bush about twenty yards away.”

“I see it,” he breathed.

“It’s rustling, just a tiny bit. That’s not wind.”

“Tribute?”

“Possibly. Or animal. Or mutt.”

“So just stay quiet and wait it out?”  


”Yeah.” They kept their eyes on the bush, watching the slight movements. Rey could tell that the rustling was human, but she didn’t risk even moving her lips to tell Ben.

After half an hour, her legs started to lose feeling.  _ Oh no... _ she tried to rub her calves without moving too much. Ben shot her a look and she froze again. His hand found hers, and they held on to each other, waiting, waiting, waiting...

Suddenly, the bush moved, and a head popped up. Rey recognized the girl from District 2. The girl stood, looking around to make sure she was alone. She didn’t notice the two tributes from District 12 watching silently.

The girl disappeared behind the bush again. A few minutes later, a small stream of smoke rose up into the sky. It grew larger, and Rey realized they were now visible to practically everyone and anyone in the arena.

“She’s...leading them here,” Ben gasped, his voice barely a whisper. “But why? To find us?”

“She could kill us here and now if she wanted to. I’m injured, we’re cornered in a cave.”  


”Now would be  _ great _ time for that secret ally to show up.”

She nodded her agreement, her fingers inching towards the knife. It lay just out of reach. She couldn’t get to it without leaning over and possibly revealing their position.

Footsteps crashed through the forest- the footsteps were coming in their direction!

Rey clutched Ben’s hand like a lifeline, as if it would protect her. She knew it wouldn’t of course, but there was something oddly reassuring about knowing she wasn’t alone.

But the footsteps didn’t stop in front of their cave- they stopped in front of the girl from 2.

“The girl from 1,” Ben whispered in her ear. She nodded silently, her eyes glued to the two tributes facing each other.

“Come get me,” the girl from 2 taunted. She pulled out a dagger, but instead of throwing it at her opponent...she hit the tree?

A familiar buzzing sound filled the air, soft and slightly bewildered at first, but it rose to an angry crescendo.

“Tracker jackers,” Rey hissed, grabbing the sleeping bag and shoving it in the hole they used as an entrance. The fabric plugged the hole surprisingly well, and none of the deadly wasps made it inside.

The girl from 1 wasn’t as lucky.

Her screams cut through the still air. At first it sounded like she was trying to fight off the mutts, but her battle cries quickly turned to pleading. Rey and Ben clutched each other tight, trying to block out the shrieks of their fellow tribute and the buzz of the hornets.

Rey didn’t think she’d ever sleep again without being haunted by those screams.

“Tracker jackers,” she managed to gasp. The talking distracted her from the gruesome battle outside, she realized. She began to run through everything Cassian and Jyn had taught her about the Capitol’s wasps. “Created to defeat the rebels fighting the Capitol’s rule.”

“Keep talking.” Ben’s voice trembled slightly.

“They...they’re not like normal wasps. If you even dare to go near their nest, they’ll attack. And...and their stings target the part of your brain that houses fear. Getting stung by one brings your deepest darkest fears to life. And it’s terribly painful. The nests near the Capitol were destroyed, but any in the districts were left behind. There aren’t too many in 12, but I’ve run across a few. Never been stung, thankfully. And...if you see a nest, you immediately head in the opposite direction. You-“

The boom of a cannon interrupted her words.

Rey and Ben shared a look. They both knew that the girl from 1 was gone. And they both knew how close they’d come to joining her.

They heard a hovercraft come and take the girl away. Rey didn’t dare remove the sleeping bag, just in case there were still tracker jackers out and ready for a fight. After at least another half hour of waiting, she dared to peek outside. The tracker jackers were gone. Only the halves of their nest remained.

“We need to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” she decided.

“What do you mean?”

“The two tributes came way too close to our cave. We have no clue how long the girl from 2 was there. We need to find a way to make sure that doesn’t happen again. i can set traps?”

“How?”

“We have rope, right? I can...Cassian taught me everything he knew about snares. I use them all the time. In 12.”

“And they’ll...?”

”If anyone comes too close to our hideout, trying to attack, they’ll be caught.”

“What if we catch ourselves?”

“We’ll know exactly where the traps are.”

“How long do you think it’ll take to set these up?”

“Depends. You good with setting traps?”

“Never tried.”

“Then I’ll take less than an hour.” She grabbed the rope that had been sitting in the corner, and moved towards the exit.

“Hey wait,” he protested, blocking the way out. “I’m coming with you. The girl from 2 could still be nearby.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t object.

After a little less than an hour of Rey setting traps while Ben scouted the area for other tributes, she stood. “Done.”

“So are we going to catch ourselves in these things?”

“No. As long as you stay a foot away from the bushes around here, you won’t get speared.”

“Speared!?”

“Anyone comes near, they’re gonna meet the tip of my knife.”

He stared at her for a minute, a little surprised. “...Don’t say that.”

“Say what?”

“You just said...anyone who came near would meet the tip of your knife.”

“No I didn’t. I said to stay at least a foot away from the bushes around here.”

“You said anyone who came near would meet your knife...and your eyes flashed yellow.”

She reached up and rubbed her eyes. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah. That’s...definitely odd.”

“I guess...I really said that?”

“Every word.”

“I did use my knife in the trap, but...I never...”

“Let’s just drop it,” he said quickly.

“Sure,” she agreed, but she was still worried. Had her eyes really flashed yellow, or was it just a trick of the light? Had she ever said anything else she wasn’t aware of saying?

“So the trap shouldn’t catch us, as long as we stay at least a foot away from the bushes. That’s where a tribute would be most likely to hide, because they can see us but we can’t see them. We have no clue how long that girl was there, it could have been hours.”

“Makes sense. Will the tracker jackers come back to their nest?”

“No, it’s been destroyed. They’re smart enough to know to find a new space. Hopefully somewhere closer to our enemies than us.”

“Definitely a plus.”

The anthem began to blare, cutting off their conversation and surprising them both.

“Already night,” she said. “That was...fast.” The tracker jacker attack lasted longer than she’d thought.

The girl from 1 appeared in the sky that night, along with the boy from 3.

“That leaves...5 others,” she counted. “7 if you include us.”  


“Do you think we’re safe for now?”

“The tracker jackers should have helped...I hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a happier note, The Ballad Of Songbirds and Snakes (a new Hunger Games book) just came out a few days ago, so I may include some songs from that book too. I promise there will be no spoilers from the book though (unless you count songs as spoilers).


	31. Funeral

Rey woke late the next morning. Ben was still asleep, but the forest was already alive with the songs of birds, the rustling of branches, the chittering of squirrels, the rushing water, the sounds of nature. Of the forest in 12. 

_ I wish you were here, Finn _ _,_ she found herself thinking. Of course, she didn’t. She wanted Finn and Poe and Rose to all be safe back home. Still, she missed them all so much.  _ I’ll be home soon. We’ll be home soon. _

She whistled a few soft tunes to the mockingjays. A song her father taught her. One she learned in school. An old lullaby Jyn’s mother would sing to her daughter. The mockingjays responded, bouncing her song through the trees. Their haunting voices filled her with awe. 

_ How could something intended to be so fatal be so beautiful?  _ Jabberjays were created to spy on the rebels and report back to the Capitol. As the rebels realized this, they’d started to feed fake information to the birds. Now useless, the Capitol had discarded the mutts. The jabberjays had mated with mockingbirds, and the end result was mockingjays. Birds who could repeat any type of tune- if they respected you enough.

“That’s amazing.” Rey whipped around, startled. Once again, Ben was watching her with a small smile.

“You need to stop,” she said halfheartedly.

“Why?”

“Cause you scared them away,” she sighed. At the sound of his voice, the mockingjays had scattered. “Ugh. How did we sleep in so late, it’s nearly afterno-“

Her voice was cut off by a piercing scream. They both immediately turned to the entrance.

“That came from...”

“Right next to us,” Rey finished softly.

“The traps.” Ben scrambled through the exit, Rey on his heels.

Caught in the traps was a small boy who couldn’t be much older than them.

“Mitaka,” she said. The quiet nervous boy from District 9. “No, no, no...” Suddenly she wasn’t seeing Mitaka, but Rose, who would have faced this if she’d gone to the arena. Poe. Finn. Everyone she loved.

“Rey?” Ben laid a gentle hand on her arm. “You okay?”

“...I don’t know.” She knelt down beside Mitaka, trying to untangle him from the net. His eyes locked on to hers.

“...12?” He asked.

“Yeah. I’m Rey. This is Ben. You’re going to be okay,” she promised, but it was a lie. The knife wound was fatal, it had punctured something important. “You’re gonna go home.”

“Home?” A small smile spread across his face.

“Yes, home. And your family is waiting, and they...they can’t wait for you to come home so they can see you again.” One hand grasped Mitaka’s while the other tried to pull away the netting.

He listened to her words, his mind far away in District 9.

“Your parents miss you so much, and...and all your friends are waiting, cheering you on, and you’re going to see them soon. Everyone is so happy that you’re coming home.” As she reached the end of the sentence, Ben put an arm around her. She hadn’t even noticed him, hadn’t seen him crouch down beside her.

“He’s gone,” he whispered.

“I know.” Tears pooled in her eyes and she let them fall. She cried for Mitaka who was so young in death, for the life he had and the life he never would, for his family and friends who truly believed he could win and come home. “Ben... why? ”

She didn’t need to say anything more, he understood.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Anyone cruel enough to...to do this...I don’t know.” He was crying too, they both were as they knelt beside the body of a boy who didn’t deserve to die.

“We should...do something.” Ben nodded his agreement, though they still didn’t move for a few minutes. It felt wrong to move on with life so quickly.

Rey crawled to one of the bushes, her whole body numb.  _ Why? _ She kept asking. It was the only coherent thought in her mind.  _ Why did he have to die? Why does the Capitol do this to us? Why?  _ She returned to Mitaka’s side a minute later, a small cluster of flowers clutched in her fist. She wrapped the boy’s fingers around them and wobbled to her feet.

“Neither of us knew Mitaka from District 9 very well.” Her voice echoed through the forest, but she wasn’t afraid to alert any tributes. She didn’t care. If they came near enough, she’d kill them with her knife. Her anger at the Capitol rose with every second. “But he was always quiet and nervous in the Capitol. He didn’t pick fights though, wasn’t rude to anyone. He kept his head down. He was determined to return to his family. Now he watches over us as one of the stars in the night sky. I can’t say I will miss Mitaka. Only those who knew Mitaka will truly miss him. But I will say that he didn’t deserve to die. I will promise to never forget him. I will remember him, and our memories will keep him alive. Thank you Mitaka.”

“Thank you Mitaka,” Ben echoed. They stepped away from the body, knowing that a Capitol hovercraft would come soon.

“You left this,” he said quietly, handing her the knife.

“Thanks,” she replied halfheartedly. She could hardly look at it. The blade was covered in dark blood, and she couldn’t erase the image of Mitaka caught in the netting from her mind. “I think I’m going to take down the traps.”

“I agree.”

It was a quiet day. Neither could fully forget the horror of the afternoon. They rarely spoke, though Rey didn’t know what to say. Funerals in 12 were rare. She’d received a medal for her parents’ deaths. She would visit the closed-off mines every day to remember them. She kept their stories alive.

Rey didn’t know Mitaka’s story. She had no medal to give his family. Going outside was dangerous. She felt useless. 

“...At least the audience will be satisfied?” Ben tried after a while. He sighed. “Don’t answer that.”

It was the last thing he said for a while. When the anthem started up that night, Mitaka’s face was displayed in the sky. The picture brought fresh tears to their eyes, and memories of the day’s events.

“We won’t join him,” Ben promised her softly. For one moment, one blissful, shining moment, she let herself believe him. But she could still feel the weight of the others, the ones who  _ would _ be shown on the giant screen, pressing down on her.


	32. Lightsabers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, so I guess it’s kind of a spoiler? It doesn’t give away any parts of the plot though.  
> The lightsaber facts in this story are from Wookieepedia, I try to keep the lessons as canon as possible.

“Hey...I was thinking...do you want to try out another lesson?”

“As long as you don’t make a joke about me passing out.”

He considered. “Alright. It’s a deal.”

“Then what’s next, Master?” She sat back and shot him a teasing grin.

“Oh stop it,” he sighed, rolling his eyes. “So I’ve been telling you a lot about lightsabers, but I just realized that I never really explained what they were.”

“I kind of got the idea. Some type of weapon?”

“Lightsabers are a type of weapon, but they’re more...refined than what you’d think of.”

“Refined? Like, more smoothly made, or...?”

“Well, a peacekeeper’s gun is an object. Nonliving. It can be a dangerous object, yes, but it’s an object with no real mind of its own. A lightsaber is...different. It’s almost like...an extension of the Jedi. I would guess it’s the same for the Sith, though I wouldn’t know.”

“A lightsaber is...living?”

“The kyber crystal that powers a lightsaber has some form of consciousness. Not sentience, but close to it. So they’re almost living.”

“That’s kind of cool and kind of creepy at the same time.”

“They can communicate with each other and living beings, but they don’t use words. I read in my uncle’s journals that kyber crystals can be any size, there were some that were as big as a tree or the pillars of the Justice Building.”

“Woah. Would people use those for their lightsabers?”

Ben laughed. “No, they’d only use the smaller ones. And it was rumored that they could heat themselves when they came into contact with something living. Scientists in the Capitol apparently ran tests, and the crystals couldn’t heat an inanimate object, like a shoe. But if it touched their bare hands, or a plant, they’d warm up. The strangest part was that the crystal’s temperature never actually changed.”

”Weird. But you’d still feel the warmth?”

“Yeah. Even though nothing had changed.”

“Huh.” Their conversation was interrupted by a loud  _ clunk _ . Rey’s hand jumped to her knife, but when she peeked outside she found a small bundle.

“Another gift!” She pulled it inside to show Ben.

“Hey, there’s a note.”

“What does it say?” She leaned over to see, but he pulled the paper away.

”It says... _The people of District 9 thank you for giving their Mitaka the funeral he deserved. They know this gift isn’t much, but they scraped together as much money as they could_. ”

Rey unwrapped the small bundle to reveal a still-warm roll. “District 9. Grain.” She looked over to the entrance, knowing that the cameras were focused on her. They always showed a tribute receiving gifts from sponsors. 

She also knew that this was the first time a district had sent a gift to a tribute from another district.

“We are both very grateful for your gift.” She took a deep breath, and began to sing.

“ _ You can’t take my past, _

_You can’t take my history_.”

When she sang the next verse, Ben joined in, their voices melding together.

“ _ You could take my pa, _

_ But his name’s a mystery. _

_ Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping. _

_ You can’t take my charm. _

_ You can’t take my humor. _

_ You can’t take my wealth. _

_ ‘Cause it’s just a rumor. _

_ Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping. _

_ Thinking you’re so fine. _

_ Thinking you can have mine. _

_ Thinking you’re in control. _

_ Thinking you’ll change me, maybe rearrange me. _

_ Think again if that’s your goal,  _

_‘Cause..._ ”

They paused for a moment before continuing.

“ _ You can’t take my sass, _

_ You can’t take my talking, _

_ You can kiss my a$$ _

_ And then keep on walking. _

_ Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping. _

_ No sir, _

_ Nothing you can take from me is worth dirt. _

_ Take it, ‘cause I’d give it free. It won’t hurt. _

_Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping!_ ”

They finished together. 

Rey had heard the song dozens of times. Her father had taught it to her. She’d sang it to herself in the woods. The older traders at the Hob sometimes sang it. But it never sounded as good without two people singing together. It was  _ perfect _ .

She crawled to the entrance where she knew the cameras would be watching and pressed three fingers to her lips before raising them to the sky.

“Where’d you learn that?” She asked quietly. “The song?”

“I was walking to school and heard one of the older residents singing it.”

“It’s not a song most merchants know. It’s sung occasionally in the Seam or the Hob.”

“It wasn’t a merchant singing. They were likely from the Seam, they were just going around to offer to wash laundry. There were two children as well. Two brothers. One was about...ten, maybe? The other looked about two years old. The youngest was crying, they looked sick. The other two sang to quiet him. I just...remembered the lyrics I guess.”

“The song’s very old. It goes back to the days of the rebellion. People would sing it as a reminder that...that the Capitol could never take away the things that really mattered. Their sprits, their protests, their pasts. They were wrong. The Capitol takes  _ everything _ from you. Your life. Your hope. Your families. That’s the Capitol. They take and take and take and one day we won’t be able to give. Our mines will have no coal left, our forests will have no trees, our oceans no fish. I hope it all blows up in their faces,” she finished softly.

“You don’t mean that,” Ben argued, resting his hand on hers.

“Are you sure about that?” She replied with a hollow laugh. “Even the victors can’t escape it. Forced to train kids year after year, forced to give them hope that they can win, forced to watch them die in an arena.” Mitaka’s death had cut deep, reminding her of losing her own parents, of how each and every one of them were helpless against the Capitol’s wrath. “How do you even choose? Bleeding out in an arena, or watching others do it.”

“Rey, stop. We’re going to get through this. Together. You were wrong. The Capitol didn’t take everything from us. We still have each other, and that’s the most important thing right now.” She nodded numbly. “Let’s get back to that lesson.”

She nodded again before asking, “Did you ever build your own lightsaber?” The question was more of a distraction than anything.

“No, Leia never let me build one. According to her, I wasn’t advanced enough. But I bet I could make one. _We_ could .”

“That wouldn’t really be fair to the other tributes,” she said, letting herself daydream about learning to use a lightsaber. Both of them. Leia could teach them what she knew, and from there they would improvise. Learn together.

“I mean when we get home of course. To keep things fair.” She paused.  Would they get home? Did he truly think so? Phasma could be brutal at times, but the two of them had a power she most likely had never heard of. 

Maybe they really could get back to District 12. Ben spoke so easily about their lives after the Games were over. She couldn’t help believing that someday the stories he told to pass time in the dark cave could come true. 

They really could build lightsabers, or meet each other’s families, or search for force users like them. 

Maybe someday even starting a family. 

Of course any children would always face the threat of the reaping. 

Still, it was fun to dream about...


	33. Syrup

“Rey.”

“Hmm?” She opened her eyes sleepily to meet Ben’s concerned gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“Your leg’s getting worse.” He was right.

“How long do you think...?”

“Maybe a week. Maybe two days.”

She tried to smile. “Well if I die, you can have my knife. Just tell Poe and Shara I love them. And make sure Rose doesn’t blame herself, she was doing that when she came to say goodbye.”

He frowned. “Not funny. And you’re not going to die.”

“You said it yourself. I’ve got a week at most.”

“So you outlive the others.”

“Mhmm. Like Mitaka?”

“Stop being pessimistic.”

“Stop pretending the world is sunshine and rainbows.”

“Look, Rey, you’re the one who convinced me we even had a chance.”

“Yeah, and that was before I heard the tracker jackers attack that girl and watched Mitaka die right in front of us!”

“We’re not going to join them. Who’s left? That girl from two. Phasma from four. DJ from 7. Armitage from 11. And us. The only pair left. We’re actually at an advantage, right? No one else is working together in an alliance. Just us. Meaning anyone who attacks us is outnumbered two to one.”

“Except Phasma could beat both of us single-handedly anyway.”

“What about DJ? Or Armitage? They both had lower scores.”

“Well they’re guaranteed at least one easy kill.”

Ben sighed but let the conversation die out. They spent the morning rearranging their supplies in silence, only speaking once to comment on the low water supply. Though the first few days in the arena had been filled with constant chatter, stories about home and the Jedi and Sith, the past few had been spent in awkward quiet. When the announcement crackled over the speakers in the late afternoon, both of them jumped.

“Attention ladies and gentlemen,” the voice said. Rey and Ben both huddled by the entrance, hanging on to every word.

“First of all, congratulations! You’ve made it to the final five!”

“Five?” Rey whispered, but he was just as confused.

“A cannon must have gone off while we were asleep?”

“I guess so.”

“Second, and you all should listen closely since this is the important part. Each of you needs something. Desperately.”

They shared a look. What was the point of this announcement? Was it a trick?

“And that is why I am inviting all of you to a feast!”  _ Of course. Something to draw the tributes out. _ It would be too dangerous for either of them to go, at least one tribute always died at a feast.

“That’s right, a feast. If you report to the Cornucopia tomorrow, you will find a bag labeled with your district number. Inside will be the thing you need the most. Remember, tomorrow at the Cornucopia. I look forward to seeing you there!”

The staticky voice cut out, and after a minute of silence the birds resumed their songs.

Ben turned to look at Rey. To her despair, he smiled, looking excited.

“Rey, this is it! This is our chance to get the medicine you need!”

She frowned. “No. Ben, I know you’re not stupid. Someone always dies at a feast,  _ always _ . It’s not worth the risk.”

“Not worth the risk? So you’d rather die?”

“Yes, if it means you live!” She admitted.

“Well too bad. I’m going.”

“If you’re going, I’m coming with you.”

“You can’t. You can’t even stand.”

“I’ll find a way.”

“You’ll get yourself killed.”

“And you won’t? By running in there to face off against Phasma? I can’t stop you from going, but you can’t stop me either.”

“Rey, the medicine could save your life.”

“Or it could cost you yours.”

Her final statement hung in the air between them, the tension a physical thing.

“I’m going to get more water,” Ben said finally, grabbing his pack and stuffing the bottles in. “Maybe some dinner too.”

After he left, Rey reviewed their conversation. As much as she didn’t want to die, she couldn’t let Ben risk his life to get the medicine. Maybe she could get it herself? She dismissed this idea immediately- he’d been right about one thing: she couldn’t even stand. She would stay up all night, she decided. Make sure he couldn’t escape at night. Make sure she wouldn’t wake up the next morning all alone.

_ Speaking of being alone... _ Ben had been gone for a while now. He’d left late in the afternoon and now it was beginning to cool down. The sun lowered and the birds trilled their evening songs.

“Ben?” She called uncertainly, poking her head outside. It was too dangerous to go out, leaving their hideout completely defenseless. She did consider it though. Trying to find him.

Finally, Ben returned to the cave.

“Where were you?” She asked, trying to keep her anger and fear in check. “I thought you’d disappeared.”  _ I thought you’d gone to the feast. _

He smiled, though there was something off about it. “I would never abandon you. I was just filling up the water bottles, and I found some food.” He held up the box that had held the cookies, it was now filled with a sort of mashed-up berry mixture.

Her curiosity got the better of her, and she crawled over. “What’re those? They look sorta like mashed blackberries.”

“They’re called sugar berries.”

“Sugar berries? I’ve never heard of them.”

“That’s because they don’t grow in the wild. Leia grows them in her garden. They look like blackberries, but they’re much sweeter. She mashes them up to make a sort of jam.”

Rey dipped her finger in and tried some. “Mmm! Okay. This is the  _ best  _ jam I’ve ever had.”

He smiled again. “I know, right?”

“You want some?” She tilted the tin towards him, but he waved it away.

“No, I’m not hungry.”

That should have been her first clue. Ben had grown up in a much more comfortable life, he’d always had more to eat than her. Despite being used to hunger, Rey’s stomach was growling after their small breakfast. Ben would be just as hungry as she was. Of course she was too busy enjoying the berries to be suspicious.

“These are really good. Does she sell them in the Hob?”

“Um...I don’t think so. They’re hard to grow, most of hers die or get eaten by animals.”

“They’re really sweet.” She scraped the last bit off the bottom. “Like syrup.” Rey froze. “Sryup...”

She tried to spit the last mouthful out, but Ben’s hand clamped over her mouth, forcing her to swallow.

Syrup. She should have noticed the second she tasted the ‘sugar berries’. Which only looked like blackberries because they  were blackberries. Blackberries and sleep syrup, the cheap stuff that everyone had had at least once in their life when they were sick or sleep deprived. 

He’d given her enough to knock her out for at least a day, maybe two. Plenty of time to go to the feast. 

Plenty of time to get himself killed.

All this flashed through her mind in a second.

“Ben...” she whispered, her heart cracking. She couldn’t finish the sentence. Already her eyelids were beginning to droop, the syrup pulling her into the land of dreams.

“I’m sorry Rey. I had to.” 

It was the last thing she heard.


	34. Feast

Rey drifted in and out of consciousness, unsure of what was real and what was her imagination.

Once she opened her eyes and found Jyn sitting beside her, holding her hand.

“Hi Sunshine,” her mother whispered before exploding into a flock of birds and flying away.

Then everything faded to black.

The next time she woke, Ben was beside her, hugging her close. She sighed with relief.

“You’re back.”

He smiled at her, but his eyes widened and he pulled away suddenly; she looked down to see another tribute’s knife had impaled him. A cannon blasted.

Everything faded to black.

A warm breeze ruffled loose strands of her hair. What little she could see of the sky was pastel-colored.  _ Sunset _ . She was still alone.  _ Where’s Ben!?! _

Everything faded to black.

Mockingjays sang a familiar tune, a song she’d heard from somewhere, she just couldn’t remember where.  She opened her eyes to find herself safe and warm in her bed at Shara and Poe’s home. 

Rey slipped out of the house silently, walking the familiar streets of District 12. The birds tune stopped abruptly and they all sang a single warning note. 

She looked to the sky and found the stars falling to the earth, raining down on her home, reducing the district to nothing but ashes.

Everything faded to black.

A curious butterfly landed on the back of her hand. She watched it, admiring the colorful patterns and graceful wings. Then she blinked, startling the insect. It flew away, leaving her alone again.

Everything faded to black.

“You did it Rey!” A girl’s voice called out, a blur of motion practically tackled her in a hug.

“Rose,” she greeted, hugging the girl.

“You made it back,” Rose grinned, hugging her tighter. “You really made it.”

Rey looked around, confused. “Wait...where’s Ben?”

Rose’s grin faded, her expression darkening. “You killed him.”

She stared at Rose, shocked at her words. “But...I would never kill Ben. We were supposed to win together.” She spotted Poe and Leia, sent them a questioning look. The sighed and shook their heads sadly. “We were allies. I couldn’t have...we would never betray each other...you can’t be serious!”

She turned to the huge screen playing the Games. To her horror, it showed the two of them standing across from each other. Rey pulling out her knife. Advancing forward. And...

“ _ No _ !” She screamed, watching herself stab Ben. Everything shattered.

And everything faded to black.

This time, her eyes opened for real. Her mind was foggy and she was extremely confused, but she was awake.

“Rey.” She quickly turned to the voice, sending another wave of dizziness through her.

“Ben.” Her voice was hoarse. How long had she been out?

He eyed her warily. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’ve been better. How long was I asleep?”

“It’s the eleventh day of the Games.” Her eyes widened- the feast had been announced on the ninth day. Rey tried to keep her rising anger in check.

“You’re bleeding.” There was a long cut slashing across his face. Luckily, the attacker had just barely missed his eye.

He touched the wound gently. “It’s nothing.”

“What happened to you? What happened at the feast?”

“I took some food and water in my pack. Brought the sword too. Hid the entrance to the cave with some rocks. By the time I left, it was night. Didn’t run into any other tributes on the way there thankfully. There was a labeled bag for each district, some were big and some were small. Ours was pretty tiny. I just ran in and ran out, one of Phasma’s knives caught my face. But I kept running, and she went after DJ instead. I came back here, opened the pouch, gave you the medicine, and passed out. I woke up again at night, heard the anthem.”

“They show anyone’s face?”

”DJ.”

Rey nodded silently, mourning the death of a boy she never knew.

“I think it was Phasma. She targets you, you’re good as dead.”

“Mhmm.” She finally looked up at Ben. “You tricked me.”

“Rey...” his tone told her he’d been planning what to say. How to defuse her.

“You tricked me. You knocked me out so you could go to that feast. You could’ve been  _ killed _ , Ben. It could’ve been  _ you _ she targeted. Could’ve been  _ your _ face in the sky.”

“It wasn’t though. I’m here, you’re here. We have a  _ real _ chance of getting home. Together.”

“Don’t give me any of that ‘together’ junk, Ben Solo! Did we agree  _ together _ that you would go to the feast? Did we agree  _ together _ to risk both of our lives? Did we agree  _ together _ to any of that? You  _ lied _ to me, you  _ tricked  _ me, you  _ knocked me out for two days so you could go off and get yourself killed! ” _

“Rey, I had no choice.”

“No choice? Just outlive the others, you said. We’ll be fine, you said.”

“That was before there was a way for you to get medicine!”

She glared at him, unable to even form words. “I don’t  _ believe  _ you,” she growled finally, grabbing the two empty water bottles and crawling outside.

Only when she was alone by the river did she examine the wound. It looked much better than it had a few days ago. The medicine really had helped. _It doesn’t make what he did right_ , she thought angrily.

Just being outside again was enough to take the edge off her mood though. Soon she was humming a soft tune to a bold mockingjay brave enough to approach her. It chirped back, pulling the corners of her lips up into a small smile. “Wondrous birds,” she whispered. “Determined to survive, too. Just like us. Just like Ben and I.”

The mockingjay whistled its reply as if it could understand her.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you could understand me,” she admitted. “You’re a smart little bird.”

The mockingjay stared into her eyes, and she sighed.

“You want me to go back to the cave, don’t you?”

The mockingjay chirped.

“Well I’m not going inside.”

It chirped again.

“We’re just gonna have another argument. And I’m still not going to be okay with the fact that he lied and tricked me.”

The mockingjay cocked its head, venturing a little closer.

“I already said, I’m not going back in.”

It stared at her.

“Okay fine,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’m going back to the cave. You win.”

The mockingjay shot her a look that was almost smug.

“I said I’m going back!”

With one last whistle, the mockingjay flew off to look for worms or something.

Rey gathered her possessions and walked back to the cave.


End file.
